


The End || Wonwoo X Mingyu

by koreaweab



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: JiHan, M/M, Seventeen - Freeform, kpop, soonseok, svt - Freeform, verkwan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-06-04 22:53:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 37,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6678658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koreaweab/pseuds/koreaweab
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When you're dying alone, you wish for stupid things and a happy ending to your story. </p><p>When you find a quiet voice that shakes you and a smile that melts your heart, you stray from where you thought you'd always be. </p><p>Ultimately, we all end up somewhere; our endings either happy, or leaving us broken hearted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Crown of Stars

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short story dedicated to Meanie, it will be more than a one-shot, but less than 10 parts. I've attempted something new for Seventeen's comeback, and I sincerely hope you all like this! 
> 
> Just a reminder, that this is fanfiction, and I am not Korean. I will mess things up. Sorry for that. 
> 
> Also, this will be published on Wattpad, and Asianfanfiction as well, so feel free to read it from wherever, but know that I am mainly based on Wattpad. 
> 
> Thanks, and I HOPE YOU ENJOY (CRY OVER) THIS STORY!

The court outside of the hospital was usually empty, void of any motion apart from the rustling vegetation that was maintained by the gardener. Mingyu noticed this whenever he walked through the skywalks, day after day, going from one hospital room to the other.

The grass was evenly cut and so bright it threatened to blind him. Around the edges of the court were his favourite maple trees, tall and strong and a circle of fire in the fall. A stone path cut into the middle of the plain of grass, leading to park benches and a fountain that had broken too long ago for Mingyu to remember what it was like when it flowed with water.

He had memorized every rock and every flower, never failing to notice the smallest changes in the court.

That's why, on the 25th of April, he singled out the small figure sitting on a beige rock in the late evening, although it should have been barely visible in the dwindling light. He thought it a normal occurrence, just another patient outside to get a breath of fresh air; it wasn't completely unusual.

Then, on the 26th of April he saw them again. The wind ruffling the stranger's dark hair and contrasting pajamas.

On the 27th, they were in the same place.

And the 28th.

And the 29th.

And the 30th.

The 1st of May, Mingyu decided to change his usual route and skipped the skywalk, making immediately for the eerie stairway he usually avoided. It was made of grey stone, dark wood and malfunctioning lights that seemed to flicker despite the amount of times the employees claimed to have fixed it. He preferred not to use this particular stairwell, but it was the only way to reach the court from this wing of the hospital.

When he broke through the warmth of the inside of the hospital he found himself standing beside a bed of flowers that he usually only saw from above. Up close they were even more vibrant than he had initially thought, although he had no clue what type of flowers they were. He just knew they were planted in every corner.

Navigating his way through the dark court, Mingyu's eyes searched for the beige rock he had been looking at more often the past five days. He passed his favourite tree, skipped over a bush he had always thought was a bit unruly, and brushed past the new apple tree sapling they had planted a couple of days ago. At the end of his path, he found the big rock and the person sitting atop it, his long legs dangling off the edge and looking awfully cold.

It was a boy-or man, Mingyu wasn't actually sure. His face was young and his body seeming small despite his height, but his eyes were tired, giving him an air of years of sad experience. 

Mingyu was drawn in by those eyes.

"Hi." Mingyu said tentatively, taking off his white doctor's coat so that he could fold it over his arms. He took a step forward, far enough that he could lean up on the rock, the stranger now a mere foot away.

The stranger looked up, his eyes lighting up with surprise. His legs stilled and rested against the rock, brushing once against Mingyu's side.

Mingyu was overly aware of that small contact, his side warming a little despite how cold the stranger's foot was. He noticed for the first time that his feet were bare. They weren't even donning the hospital's slippers.

"Hello." The stranger finally replied, his deep voice barely audible in the evening's silence.

"Aren't you cold?" Mingyu asked.

"Not really."

The reply didn't give Mingyu much to work with, but he was determined to have a conversation with the lonely patient who definitely had a story that he wanted to hear.

"Really? Well, that's good then, we can stay out here for a while."

Mingyu hoisted himself up on the rock and settled next to the boy, making sure that he wasn't touching him in any way. There was a small space next to them that was filled with the heat of their two bodies. None of them leaned into it even though the cold air tempted them to.

"What's your name?"

Mingyu turned to look at the man who's attention was directed at the changing sky. He got a good glance of his side profile, his sharp jaw, straight nose and thin lips.

He didn't divert his focus when he replied to Mingyu's question. "Wonwoo."

The name seemed all too fitting to Mingyu. It sounded a little mysterious, and also very beautiful.

"Wonwoo." Mingyu tried, testing to see how the sounds rolled off his tongue and the one in question turned his head towards his name.

Mingyu took advantage of the situation and caught Wonwoo's gaze with his own, locking their eyes together for the first time. A grin lit up Mingyu's expression while he took in the sight of Wonwoo's eyes. They were a dark brown, so dark he had nearly mistaken them to be black.

"I'm Kim Mingyu."

"Mingyu," Wonwoo repeated before he could stop himself. The way his voice wrapped around Mingyu's name was unlike what Mingyu was used to. His voice made his name seem bright and alive even though Wonwoo's voice was even and deep.

"It sounds nice when you say it," Mingyu said truthfully, not even thinking about it before he threw it out into the wind.

Wonwoo's cheeks were already pink from the cold, and so the blush that crept onto his face went unnoticed by Mingyu. Although, he did notice the way his lips parted in shock and the facial expression pulled another smile from Mingyu.

"Why are you out here alone?" Mingyu continued, moving on from the topic that was clearly causing Wonwoo to become flustered.

Wonwoo had to clear his throat before he spoke. "It's nice."

Mingyu noticed that all of Wonwoo's replies were curt and to the point so he would have to be ready to follow up.

"I agree, I love the gardener's work. His name's Seokmin, did you know?"

A shake of his head.

"He comes early every morning and tends to all of the plants before the sun is yet to reach it's highest. I don't know how he does it, but all of my favourites are right here in this garden."

Wonwoo found new interest in the plants surrounding them as Mingyu talked and focused on the bush closest to them.

"Which one's your favourite?" Mingyu asked when he got only silence as a reply.

Another stretch of silence before Wonwoo shrugged. "I don't know..." He trailed off, turning his eyes back to Mingyu who had never taken his focus off of him. "I don't know anything about plants."

The fact that he had spoken more than one sentence caused Mingyu to become ridiculously giddy. It felt like a victory, no matter how small the action had been.

"I'm no professional, but there are a few things I know." Mingyu stretched out his arm and pointed at a plant that was near their feet. "That's a juniper bush, there are a few them here."

He turned his hand the slightest bit to point at the flowers resting near the rock. "And those are Muscari flowers. Great for teas and medicinal pastes."

Wonwoo nodded, and a small smile made an appearance on his lips. Mingyu was taken aback for just a second. The smile was soft and so different from what he had been expecting from the mysterious boy who had been nothing but placid looks and short replies. Mingyu found himself opening a small space in his mind for the memory of this smile.

It took an awkward second for him to go back to his task at hand.

He continued to rant on about the plants covering every inch of the court, looking back every minute to watch Wonwoo's expression. He was silent the entire time, but Mingyu delighted in the thought that he was actually enjoying what he was explaining.

Mingyu went over everything from the actual flowers to the weeds sneaking their way into the beds of different vegetation. He left out only the things he didn't know, which was the variety of flower which he had fallen upon when he entered the court. He explained for so long that the sun had set completely and the stars were shining brilliantly over their heads like glitter spilled over a sheet of dark, navy blue.

Somewhere down the line, he had casually draped his coat over Wonwoo, and was too distracted to notice that he himself was shaking from the chill.

"And that-right there, is grass," Mingyu said with a chuckle and a small snort came from Wonwoo.

"I know that much." He said, now more comfortable with the doctor who had spent the last minutes ranting about flowers, trees, and leaves. "But which one are those?"

Wonwoo pointed to the bright red-rimmed, yellow flowers that Mingyu had purposefully skipped.

"I like those ones," Wonwoo said.

"I... Don't actually know those ones."

Mingyu felt strangely disappointed in himself for not knowing, but he had always guessed they were roses because they were somewhat similar. While he was always busy with the hyacinths and Angelica flowers, he had never once stopped to see those ones.

"But you're such a plant nerd."

Mingyu's jaw dropped a little at the blunt comment that came from Wonwoo.

"Did you just call me a nerd?"

Wonwoo shrugged.

"You kind of are."

Mingyu shook his head in mock disbelief.

"I go out of my way to help teach a curious student and he insults me!" He placed his hand over his chest, wincing. Mingyu felt his acting was even better today than it usually was.

Wonwoo laughed. His white teeth showing past his pink lips, and his deep voice going a bit higher to let out bubbles of laughter.

It made Mingyu equally as happy and he began laughing as well.

Each laugh echoed in the empty court and mixed with the rustling of the trees. The sound was like music and Mingyu believed he could live the rest of his life listening to it. Having only known Wonwoo for less than two hours, he found it incredulous. But he was so comfortable with the light air that they sat in together that he just wanted to stay. 

While Wonwoo's laughter was even and controlled, Mingyu's was all over the place. He bent over and swayed from side to side, moving constantly as the laughter shook it's way out of him.

After a while, Wonwoo was no longer laughing because of what was said, but because of the way Mingyu laughed. It was ridiculous to him how someone could move so much while laughing.

They laughed so hard they couldn't breathe, and Mingyu leaned over onto Wonwoo by accident, their bodies pressed up against each-other. They were both freezing and now their bodies refused to stray too far from the warmth coming from each-other. They stayed liked that, howling laughter flying around them in echoes and clear tones.

The night only ended once Wonwoo claimed to hate Mingyu's laugh. 

 

 

Mingyu learned that the flower's name was Begonia, and that they sold them at the florists shop a street down from them. When he had found out he had raced to the skywalk without thinking, his eyes landing on the beige rock within a second. He was wrong to do so, of course, because Wonwoo only sat on the rock in the evenings, something that Mingyu should have known.

He had to walk back to his office with his head hanging, avoiding the curious stares of the nurses who adored gossip. They had eyes like hawks' and Mingyu had been the subject of their whispering far too many times for his liking.

As he turned the last corner before his office, he saw a familiar pattern in his peripheral vision. It could have been any patient's pyjamas, but he found the one he was looking for passing him in the hallway with a nurse holding his arm.

"Wonwoo!" He exclaimed a little too excitedly.

The two paused and turned to the doctor who resembled a dog, wagging its tail in excitement.

"I figured out it's name. It's a Begonia," Mingyu said without a second for a breath, examining the way Wonwoo's eyes lit up at the information given. "It's good for stomach diseases."

Wonwoo smiled, a genuine smile that was bright and just as excited. "It's a nice name."

Mingyu felt a little stupid, grinning so widely, but Wonwoo's love for the flower was a subject of interest for Mingyu, and he enjoyed the expression on Wonwoo's face. He wanted to know more about him, and everything that he saw, heard or felt was propelling him to satisfy his curiosity.

The moment was broken when he noticed the nurse motioning to him that he needed to go.

A knot of unease unfurled in the pit of Mingyu's stomach as he nodded, waving to Wonwoo. He had forgotten that they were on their way to somewhere, and if it were somewhere in the hospital it couldn't have been very good.

"It seems you have to go. I'll see you later?"

Wonwoo waved back just as a doctor rushed in between the two of them.

"Bye."

And Wonwoo was making his way down the hall again, leaving Mingyu with his unanswered question. 

 

 

"I met Seokmin the other day." Wonwoo said, his fingers twirling a bright begonia that had been given to him by the said gardener.

It had been four days since Mingyu found out the flower's name, and it was the second day since then that they actually met up. The first was in his hospital room. Mingyu had thought that he had been discharged-or something worse had happened. Needless to say, he had raced down the stairwell when he had seen Wonwoo sitting atop the rock.

"Yeah? What did you think? He's pretty funny, isn't he?"

Wonwoo nodded. "He made some really bad puns."

Mingyu knew very well the kind of jokes Seokmin liked to make, and the idea that he had shared some with Wonwoo caused a chuckle to tumble through his lips.

"Did he tell you the joke about his fear of gardening?"

"I don't think so."

"Oh, you have to hear it."

Mingyu shifted and crossed his legs underneath him, his shoes catching in his coat. He had to take a second to readjust himself, and in that time, Wonwoo turned to face him.

Mingyu opened his mouth to start but stopped short when a laugh came out involuntarily. He attempted to suppress it with his hands and Wonwoo was rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry -- sorry," Mingyu gasped as he straightened himself. "Okay." He cleared his throat and squared himself so he could look Wonwoo in the eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Mingyu noticed that they seemed to be the same height.

"So, Seokmin was always afraid of gardening..." Mingyu brought up his hands for added dramatic effect.

"And then he decided to grow a pear."

Mingyu tried his best to stay straight faced but his body gave in faster than he would have liked, laughter throwing him around as it always did. He couldn't control himself as he attempted to repeat the punchline between bursts of giggling.

It took Wonwoo a second to join in, his reason for chuckling very different from Mingyu's.

"That was so stupid," Wonwoo said cheerily, his entire face lit up by a smile that showcased his teeth.

Mingyu pointed a finger right at him. "But you're laughing!"

Wonwoo quickly covered his mouth with his hand, turning away from Mingyu so he was looking towards the windows of the hospital. The lights were beginning to turn off, as they always did at that time of the day.

It took Mingyu a bit before he could calm down, and when he finally did, Wonwoo was still smiling at him although the smile had softened.

"It's my favourite joke," Mingyu said honestly, never one to deny something that made him happy. He had learned long ago that no matter how silly, sharing happiness in any form was always the right thing.

"Is he actually afraid of gardening, though?" Wonwoo questioned, his lips turned down in curiosity.

"Yes, actually."

"Really?" Wonwoo's head tilted in the slightest way, and Mingyu's heart stuttered so quick that he nearly missed it happening at all. "How do you know?"

"I was his doctor."

Wonwoo nodded slowly, realization dawning on his face. "So you're some kind of psychologist?"

"Yeah. I'm a psychiatrist."

A pause. The lights in the rooms across from them turned off.

"Is that why you're talking to me? Is there something wrong with me?"

"I don't know." Mingyu's gaze was fixed on Wonwoo, while the latter's was towards the ground. "You're at the hospital, you tell me."

The lights from the skywalk flickered off.

"... I don't think there's anything wrong with me--mentally."

His voice was barely above a whisper, filled with uncertainty and questioning.

"What's your reason for being at the hospital, then?" Mingyu asked, straight forward.

Wonwoo raised his head to meet Mingyu's gaze, his eyes gliding over all of his features, searching for something. Mingyu felt a sad confession coming, and he began regretting asking the question at all. At least his curiosity would be satisfied.

"I have stomach cancer."

The last lights from the lobby turned off, and they were immersed in darkness. The sky was clear, but the moon was nowhere in sight. Only the stars were twinkling, though they didn't do much in terms of illuminating.

Mingyu had the sudden urge to ask something else, although he was afraid it would seem like he was avoiding the subject.

Maybe he was. He didn't think he should've felt so afraid, but maybe he didn't want to hear a story that could hurt him.

He decided to ask. "Why are you always out here alone?"

Mingyu couldn't see Wonwoo in the darkness, but he could tell he was confused at the sudden change in topic.

"I said before, it's nice-"

"But that's not all of it."

Silence. Mingyu wished he could see Wonwoo's face, wished he could decipher what was going on inside of his mind. He leaned forward, fully aware that their faces were inches apart but from that distance he could see those dark eyes that held so many mysteries. His head was tilted down, eyelashes fluttering as he blinked fast.

"You're right."

Mingyu could feel Wonwoo's breath on his neck and he swore his heart was going to stop.

"I was sitting out here in the hopes that someone would find me." Something akin to a wry smile was visible in the dark light. "That's childish, I know."

"Why do you want to be found?" Mingyu breathed, leaning back so that his heart would stop attempting to make its way through his chest. He wondered why it was so frantic. He didn't have anxiety and he never had panic attacks before. Mingyu made a mental note that he would have to look into it later.

"Because I'm dying, because I never lived the way I wanted to live, because I don't want to leave as a forgotten tragedy... There are lots of reasons."

Mingyu had heard these things before, too many times for him to count. He had sympathized for all of them, tried to put himself where they were, but none of them made him feel as he did then. He felt as if someone had dropped an entire country's stresses and worries on his shoulder, crushing him to the point where he couldn't breathe. Just one glance at Wonwoo's eyes caused the feeling to double.

"And so? You've been found, what now?" Mingyu continued, wondering what it was that Wonwoo wanted from a stranger who had found him.

Wonwoo seemed hesitant, as if he were picking apart the words that he wanted to say. He started, but stopped. And started again, and stopped again.

It took him a while to form a full sentence.

"I don't want my story to end as a one person tragedy..." Wonwoo trailed, thinking of a way to continue.

"You want a happy ending?"

Wonwoo's head finally came back up, and from where Mingyu was sitting, it looked as if a crown of stars had been placed above him. Mingyu knew then that he was the most beautiful person he had ever had the luck of meeting.

"Yes." His voice was quiet, even more than it usually was. "I want you to give my story a happy ending."

The lamps in the court finally came to life, flickering around them like fireflies in the spring. The stars were now dull from their spot in their own world.

Mingyu was normally rational, he normally told his patients that things weren't always fluff and positivity, but maybe it was the silent night, or the look in Wonwoo's eyes that made him start a promise he couldn't guarantee he could keep. He felt the stars would forgive him even if he betrayed his doctor's oath.

"Then I will. I won't let you go as a forgotten tragedy."


	2. Tasting Sweet

For the next couple of weeks, Mingyu began what he liked to call, OHEA. Operation Happily Ever After. The name was silly, and a little to the childish side, but he felt that it was fitting for what he had in mind. He wasn't going to name his project anything depressing, and it had an abbreviation that was easy to pronounce. As long as that was the case, Mingyu was fine with anything.

OHEA started with simple things.

Surprise visits to Wonwoo's room during the day.

Mingyu would pop in, a shit-eating grin on his face. He would spend just a minute -- or even an hour rambling on about things that everyone else would otherwise brush off. Although Wonwoo would mostly sit listening contentedly, sometimes he would have his own stories to tell. Those moments were so domestic that they should have been something that Mingyu would only keep in a corner of his mind. He found himself doing the opposite. Every hour would be spent waiting for a break where he could sneak off to Wonwoo, and every minute afterward would be spent thinking about what they would talk about the next day. On days when he was denied a visit, Mingyu would just have to wait.

Introducing Wonwoo to other people who were in the same boat as Seokmin.

There were plenty of other ex-patients who now worked in the immediate vicinity, and all of them still frequented the hospital to drop off things or to give their greetings. Mingyu took it upon himself to introduce Wonwoo to some of them. Minghao, the delivery boy. Seungcheol, the single father of two. Chan, the adopted orphan, and Junhui, the injured athlete. While some meetings had been awkward and others overly-exciting, Mingyu could tell that Wonwoo already adored the people he had been introduced to. At times, their hour of conversation would be filled with questions of when they would come again, and it would never take them long to show up.

Teaching Wonwoo new things.

Wonwoo had mentioned in one of their conversations that he had wished he knew more about the world, and Mingyu took it to heart. The very next day he came with books, pencils and journals, ready to teach Wonwoo anything from a new language to mundane facts. While at first Wonwoo denied the lessons, eventually he let into Mingyu's sweeping expressions and explanations, writing -- stupid -- notes, and drawing -- irrelevant -- graphics. Mingyu would tease him about being a good student, and Wonwoo would, in turn, poke fun at Mingyu's teaching. The lessons would only take place on Wednesdays and Tuesdays, the days of the week where Mingyu was more free than usual. By the time they had a couple of classes in, Mingyu noticed that Wonwoo had only taken two lessons seriously. When he was taught what the word love was in latin, and when Wonwoo insistently asked a red-faced Mingyu about what the young female patients meant when they called Mingyu daddy.

Giving Wonwoo the little things.

There were moments where Mingyu thought Wonwoo's hospital room was too bare, and so he would bring in his favourite lamp or a mural he had hanging in his house. The doctors would instruct him to remove them immediately, of course, but he would bring in something new every other day. The only things Wonwoo was allowed to keep was a CD player and Mingyu's favourite album, Boys Be. Although most of the gifts Mingyu would give to Wonwoo would be taken away within a day, Wonwoo would thank him, and spend the whole day with it next to him.

OHEA became known to few, and the couple of people would always be following Mingyu around, asking him why. One of them, being Seokmin, and another, Wonwoo's nurse, Jeonghan.

He blamed it on his tendencies as a psychiatrist, finding a broken person, and wanting to fix them.

It seemed right enough to him, but the two were never satisfied, insisting that there was something else to it.

Mingyu never paid too much attention, instead, he focused on plans for a tomorrow with Wonwoo.

 

 

 

On a particularly sunny day in late June, Mingyu heard that Wonwoo was being let out of the hospital. He wasn't being discharged, but instead, it was like a couple of days for him to take a breather from the hospital.

Wonwoo's Doctor, Hong Jisoo, came to visit Mingyu in his office, clipboard pressed to his side.

It was unusual for someone to visit him if they weren't either a patient, his secretary, or his patient's Doctor. In reality, Wonwoo wasn't a patient, and so Jisoo should have had no reason to visit him. He just hoped that the news concerned another patient, otherwise, it would mean something was wrong with Wonwoo.

Jisoo came in without knocking, sliding open the door and moving in quickly to stand directly in front of Mingyu. There was a polite smile on his face -- as always, but he seemed serious.

Mingyu sat a bit straighter in the tense atmosphere, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth subconsciously.

"Sit down." Mingyu waved at the two chairs before him and Jisoo complied, folding himself into one of the plush chairs. It was comical seeing a doctor in one of his white seats.

Most of Mingyu's office was decorated with soft colours and carefully picked art, everything having to put into consideration the patient's mental health. For a doctor to be here seemed a little wrong.

"So? What's the problem?"

Jisoo didn't reply right away, instead tapping his pen against the clipboard he was holding, his eyes scanning it over once.

"You know Wonwoo's being let out for a day, right?"

So the news is about him.

"Yes, I heard it from Jeonghan yesterday."

Jisoo nodded, dropping the clipboard in his lap. Mingyu gave it a quick glance, finding Wonwoo's name and the words Health Report.

"I'm not sure if you know, but he's having a surgery soon. Probably in two weeks."

Mingyu's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach, and he suddenly felt disoriented. Worry was clouding his mind and he couldn't figure out what was wrong with him.

"Please tell me Wonwoo knows this?" Mingyu asked, wondering if Jisoo was here to tell him that he was the one that had to break it to him. There were times where the patient's mental health was unstable, and so they recruited Mingyu's help to let them down slowly, and in a manner that the patient could handle. He wasn't sure if he could do it for Wonwoo, because the one who would need consoling would be him.

"Don't worry, he knows this. That's why we scheduled a couple of days to let him out of the hospital."

Mingyu thought he should've felt relieved, but his concern only worsened.

"... So why are you here?"

"Everyone knows you've been visiting Wonwoo religiously."

Mingyu's skin turned a soft pink.

"And ever since, we've been seeing small changes, his condition has actually gotten better." Mingyu lightened a little at the good news and Jisoo continued. "Lessening stress is a great way to improve your health when you have cancer, but of course it doesn't fix the problem."

"Jisoo, you're not answering my question."

"Just wait, Mingyu. For a psychologist you don't have a lot of patience." Jisoo rolled his eyes, lifting up the clipboard again. He turned over a page and read something before he continued. "And so, I'm here because I need you to spend the couple of days that Wonwoo's out of the hospital with him."

Mingyu scooted to the edge of his seat, leaning against his desk. "What? Why?"

He was surprised. Not necessarily displeased, a little excited, but his emotions were being thrown from one side to the other, confusing him with what he actually wanted to do about the situation. He knew that he had a solution as to what was happening in his mind, but he couldn't find it to apply it to himself.

"Because Wonwoo's condition has gotten better, we want to keep it there until he gets his surgery. We'll also need you to do a mental checkup on him, so having you spend a couple of days is like killing two birds with one stone."

Mingyu leaned back again. He had to process the explanation Jisoo had just given him and ignored the inquiring stare of the Doctor sitting across from him.

It took Mingyu a while to reply with another question.

"Does Wonwoo know that I'll be doing this as part of my job, or is he still in the dark about this?"

"He wouldn't know. Just approach him as you have been the past month."

Mingyu nodded slowly, turning his head to stare out of his window.

Mingyu's mind tried to plan out what he would do, tried to line up the pros and cons, but instead all he could do was stare. All he wanted to do was say yes. Say that of course he wanted to spend entire days with Wonwoo, and he was already imagining things that they could do together.

But he couldn't.

Because although something in him was bouncing in excitement, there was that small, dark voice that told him he was going down a path he would soon regret. He knew that there was a chance that he would be broken by the end, but he also knew there was a chance that he could be somewhere he had never been before. Mingyu never liked being hurt, the mere thought tempting him to back out.

An image of him showing Wonwoo the ocean crossed his mind and his positivity won over. Mingyu gave in easily to any pleasures.

"So? Are you going to do it?"

He made his choice, he knew it might hurt, but he was going to be positive.

"I'll do it."

 

 

Mingyu had his secretary clear his afternoons for the next week and while he had mountains of papers and files to go through, he finished everything before the end of the day. He hadn't had the chance to visit Wonwoo, but he assumed that didn't matter too much seeing how they would most likely be spending the upcoming days together.

The day went by fast, meeting patients, visiting homes, and filling out papers in between. Mingyu didn't even have a break for lunch and by the time he was packing up to leave, he was starving. Mingyu recalled needing more rice and beef for the dish he had intended to make that night. He tucked the reminder into the side of his mind as he left his office.

The sun was low on the horizon when he passed through the skywalk, pausing to admire the scene for the first time that day. The pink sunlight settled against leaves and petals, the light coming back in different shades of orange. The sight was so breathtaking, but what caught him wasn't the way the branches swayed or the vibrant flowers but the figure he saw sitting on a certain beige rock.

Mingyu smiled and began making his way down through the stairwell that used to scare him.

When he broke into the court, he snuck around the edges, trying his best to stay out of Wonwoo's line of sight. A mischievous grin was plastered to his face as he snuck up behind the rock, climbing up as silently as his coat would allow him. It was a wonder how Wonwoo didn't hear him coming.

"Found you!" Mingyu shouted, shoving Wonwoo a little harder than he had intended.

The shorter boy tumbled off the rock, barely capable of regaining his balance when he hit the ground. When he turned, Mingyu was sitting on his knees on top of the rock, his hands still placed before him.

Wonwoo looked quite annoyed.

"What if I had fallen off head first?" Wonwoo huffed as he stepped to lean over the rock. "Stupid Doctor." He grumbled.

Mingyu giggled, bending over slightly. "But you didn't! And you were totally surprised too."

A smile was beginning to tug at the edges of Wonwoo's lips.

"That's not the point, Mingyu." His voice was still slightly hostile, but it didn't bother Mingyu. In fact, he found it quite adorable.

"Aw come on, why are you being so uptight?" Mingyu asked, the question masked as a joke when in reality, he realized earlier that Wonwoo had been staring solemnly into space and he wanted to know what was wrong.

"Because a certain someone is incredibly late," Wonwoo said pointedly, staring purposefully into Mingyu's eyes.

"Who?"

Wonwoo chuckled. "Do you really not know or are you messing with me?"

Mingyu thought for a second, confused as to what Wonwoo was saying. He didn't know anyone Wonwoo might have been waiting for; he didn't even know why Wonwoo was waiting.

Mingyu gave him one more look before realization came to him.

He pointed a finger at himself. "Me? You were waiting for me?"

Wonwoo nodded without a word, his mouth bent upward in a smirk.

"Wait-why...?" Mingyu trailed off when he thought of his visit with Jisoo in the early morning. He didn't think he would start that very day.

"You're giving me a ride back. That's what Jeonghan said."

Wonwoo climbed back on to the rock, their two shadows now melding together against their rose-coloured surroundings. The sun was nearly gone, it's last rays inching deeper and deeper into the dark horizon.

Mingyu paid no mind to it, instead his eyes tracing the edges of Wonwoo's profile. The light emphasized every dark line in his eyes and every curve of his skin. Mingyu's hands itched to reach out and catch Wonwoo between his fingers. All of this felt so natural that he didn't realize the change stirring inside of him.

"Ah, is that so? Should we go then?" Mingyu asked, forcing his eyes away from his beautiful friend.

He looked at the sky as clouds began to lose their colour.

Wonwoo shook his head. "I just got on the rock. Let's stay a while."

And so they stayed.

Mingyu forgot about his hunger, and Wonwoo forgot about his little time for freedom.

They stayed until the sky was as dark as Wonwoo's eyes, and the only thing on their minds were each-other.

 

 

"Your place? Why?" Wonwoo asked from the passenger side, adjusting himself so he could sit comfortably.

The streets were bright despite the stygian sky above Seoul due to the cars zipping past them from left and right. Buildings were closing, but lights had not yet been turned off.

"Have you not heard my stomach for the past hours? I'M DYING."

"Not funny," Wonwoo said sharply, his head turning to look out of his window. He pressed the little button next to him and the glass slid down, allowing the rushing air to dip into the car.

Mingyu realized what he had said, and who he had said it to. He instantly felt guilty.

"I mean, I'm hungry. I'm dying of hunger-I haven't eaten all day. I need food. I-"

"Mingyu, I can't hear you over the wind, so stop."

Mingyu knew that he had been speaking loud enough for Wonwoo to hear, but he assumed that the conversation was finished.

He felt terrible, he hated himself for slipping up. Mingyu simply felt so comfortable with Wonwoo that he wasn't careful around him like he had been around other patients.

When he was with Wonwoo, he felt like he was discussing with a friend he had known his entire life, and words escaped from his lips before he could ever stop them. It had only been a month and already Wonwoo was one of Mingyu's favourite people.

"You don't have to say anything, anyway. It was just a joke." Wonwoo turned to smile at Mingyu. It was comforting rather than teasing or snarky.

Mingyu let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, he wanted to hit Wowoo but held back. "I thought you were actually hurt."

Wonwoo shook his head. "I don't think you realize the amount of jokes you make when you're around me. I'm used to them, and I'm glad you're used to them too." Wonwoo turned back to the window and stuck his hand out. "It sounds cliché, but it's refreshing to have someone be so natural around me."

Mingyu laughed. The comment made him strangely happy.

"Who would've known you're such a cliché person? Must be because of those romance novels you're always crying about."

Wonwoo whipped around, cheeks tinting pink.

"That was one time! It was a really sad book okay?"

Mingyu grinned at the memory.

About a week after he had promised Wonwoo a happy ending, Mingyu had come in after an appointment with a client and had found Wonwoo crying in his bed. At first, Mingyu nearly felt sick from worry and he had rushed over to sit on the bed next to Wonwoo. Of course, he thought something had gone wrong. Maybe bad news, or something was hurting.

Mingyu had pressed the alert button to call for Jeonghan before Wonwoo could stop him.

"Hey, what's the matter? Did something happen? Are you okay?" Mingyu had asked in a rush of words, placing his hands over Wonwoo's shoulders, pushing him up slowly so that he sat straight.

The book had fallen out of Wonwoo's hands then, tumbling into the space between them. He sniffled and held back a sob as he had reached for it.

Once it was back in the safety of his hands, Wonwoo shook his head, giving himself time to settle down his sobs before he spoke.

"I-It's the-" He hiccuped.

"The what?"

"The book."

Incredulity had come over Mingyu as he stared at the crying boy before him.

"Th-the book is so sad."

"The book?" Mingyu had asked, still not believing that someone had been crying so hard over pieces of paper and ink.

"It's not even the ending-" A gasp of air. "And it's already so-" Another hiccup. "Everything is already sad."

Mingyu nodded as if he understood, his lips pressed together tightly. In reality, he was baffled and wasn't quite sure if he wanted to know. He patted Wonwoo's back as he cried, and let him rant about whatever he wanted.

Jeonghan had run in not too long afterward and had left as soon as he saw the book in Wonwoo's hands.

If that wasn't an indication that it was something Wonwoo did regularly, Mingyu wasn't sure what was.

"Oh yes, one time," Mingyu said, returning to the present as he turned onto his street.

"You know what? I hate you, Mingyu." Wonwoo grumbled.

The car filled with Mingyu's laughter as they ran down towards an underground parking lot and soon they were both unbuckling themselves from the car. Mingyu carried their things from the dark parking lot, through the elevators, all the way to his apartment.

His place belonged to a newer building, the design modern and the colours simple. Mingyu's apartment was spacious and while it showed off a charm that the rest of the building had portrayed, some random effects of his threw the image out the window.

Plants in spotted and striped pots were placed in any spot exposed to the windows, educational books abandoned in empty spaces between furniture, papers strewn across tables. Although it seemed like none of that should have fit, nothing seemed out of place. It looked clean even if things were forgotten here and there.

"So? You like it?" Mingyu asked as he placed their bags together on the couch. He shrugged out of his long jacket and draped it over their things.

Wonwoo unzipped his own jacket. "It's very you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That means it's weird."

"So I'm weird now?"

Mingyu rolled up his sleeves as he shuffled over to the kitchen. He opened cupboards and pulled out ingredients. Mingyu could feel Wonwoo watching him.

"You've been weird from the start."

"But that's not a bad thing, right?"

"Not sure."

Wonwoo's voice was closer to him now and so he turned around. Wonwoo sat at the island on a barstool, his jacket left on the couch over his own. Mingyu couldn't help but feel like they had done this before. Wonwoo's ease in Mingyu's house seemed so natural, it was like this was how they should have been living all along.

Mingyu smiled.

"Well, this weird guy is going to make you some food. What do you want?"

Wonwoo leaned onto the counter, shrugging. "I've been in the hospital for a while, I just want something delicious."

Mingyu thought for a second before he nodded. "Something delicious. I'm on it."

In no time, his hands were busy with measuring and mixing, fully aware that someone was watching his every move. He thought it would've been unnerving, but rather, he enjoyed Wonwoo's presence in his kitchen.

Mingyu finished the mixture fairly quickly and turned the stove top on, greasing a pan with a little bit of butter.

When Wonwoo realized what Mingyu was making, he shook his head lightly. "It's too late to eat something like this."

Mingyu shrugged him off. "You said something delicious, and so I'm just delivering."

The plate he had set out eventually piled up, and he finished the last touches as he sandwiched everything together. Mingyu finished it off by dusting icing sugar over the top. The white dust floated in the air, a small cloud flying around them in the kitchen's lights.

"One crepe cake, coming up!" Mingyu turned around and slid it dramatically over the island towards where Wonwoo was sitting. Wonwoo barely managed to stop it from slipping over the edge. The dust followed it, and Mingyu openly stared at Wonwoo's face behind the thin cloud. Their eyes held each-other's, the dust tasting sweet on their lips.

"You're fearless, you know that?"

"I think it's one of my charms."

Mingyu rummaged through one of his drawers and pulled out unused candles, placing a bright green one directly in the middle.

He lit the candle in a swift stroke and ran to turn off the lights, stumbling back to his place in the shadows. Everything was dark save for the small flickering bulb of fire between them. It illuminated Wonwoo's face from a different angle, and Mingyu was given another opportunity to enjoy every accentuated trait on Wonwoo's face. He found that, recently, he knew more about Wonwoo's features than his own.

"Make a wish." Mingyu leaned forward, his breath tickling the flame.

"Why?"

"You deserve one."

Wonwoo smiled. A genuine smile that was brighter than the orange light of fire.

Mingyu thought he felt his heart melting like candle wax beneath a heat that burned too hot.

Wonwoo blew out the candle in a quick breath, the room becoming engulfed in darkness. Mingyu couldn't see, and in that split second where he was blinded by the change, he felt something push against his lips. His heart melted completed, a puddle of coloured wax, rendered useless by the heat that had come too close.

He didn't know what happened, and what to believe.

His hand shot up, meeting his mouth. Whipped cream was smeared against it.

Mingyu's eyes adjusted to his surroundings and he saw Wonwoo's form leaned closer towards him.

Wonwoo lifted his finger, and in the darkness, Mingyu could just make out the shape of whipped cream piled on it.

"Taste good?"

Mingyu couldn't explain why he felt disappointed.

"Of course. I made it."

Wonwoo shrugged.

"It's okay at best."

"Fine, none for you." Mingyu said with fake casualness.

He left to turn on the lights with careful steps and Wonwoo laughed from his spot. Mingyu had to pause by the wall when the lights came back up, stopping to ask himself what he should believe had just happened.

He might have had his answer if only he saw Wonwoo licking whipped cream off of his own lips. 

 

 

The next week was spent with just the two of them.

Mingyu learned that Wonwoo's family lived out in Gyeongsang-Do, and he had been sent out to Seoul a little while after they learned that Wonwoo had a terminal illness. Mingyu had asked if he wanted to be taken down to his parents, but Wonwoo refused, saying that they were coming to him in a couple of days.

So they spent their days in Mingyu's house, or out in the city, doing anything and everything for as long as the hours of the day allowed them to. From shopping to walks in the park, Mingyu took Wonwoo wherever he wanted to go. He forgot all about his job as a doctor, and instead he gained new feelings that he couldn't really understand.

They bought the weirdest things and ate the most obscure of street foods.

They even went as far as buying matching shoes.

There were times when Wonwoo would get sick when he was eating, and only then would Mingyu go back to being a professional, bringing to mind his years of emergency training. It wouldn't last long and didn't happen often so their days were spent with blissful enjoyment.

Mingyu felt happier than ever when they had spent mornings in his living room brushing past each other to tend to his inordinate amount of plants. Wonwoo would ask what each one was called, and then he would give them their own names.

The cactus in the tin pot was named Daejung.

The aloe vera in the corner of the kitchen was named Eunji.

The red rose bush on his balcony was Hwanyun.

The English Ivy hanging above the window was called Iseul.

The new begonia that didn't have a place yet was given the name Minwoo.

There were too many for them to remember everything and so Mingyu had fetched old name tags that he often used around children. The edges of the sticker-name-tags were decorated with multiple animal mascots and they added a cute touch to the plants that shrouded Mingyu's place.

They spent their day writing names and attaching the tags to the pots, collecting the plants into one group on the floor so they could lean against each other to write the names. In total, Mingyu had seventeen of them, some of them of the same variety, and others were expensive, difficult to attain plants.

Mingyu would be especially careful with the rare ones, but Wonwoo was careful with each one, picking it up as if it were a child, and placing it down as if it were top-class china pottery. They chose the plants as they went, picking one up and scrawling its label over a sticker before tagging it. Mingyu would always have to ask Wonwoo for the names, unable to think of original ones himself. 

They wrote the begonia's name last, splitting the word in two so they would have written equal amounts.

Mingyu wrote the first block: 민.

Wonwoo wrote the last: 우.

Mingyu's messy handwriting especially stood out against Wonwoo's neat letters, and even though it looked strange, they both felt it was the best-looking one there.

It took them a while to return every plant to its place and so they decided, afterward, that they would stay in.

The day faded into a night with arbitrary conversations and relaxed bodies sprawled across a floor covered in evidence of a lazy day.

They did what they did best: talk. Talking until it was too dark for Mingyu to differentiate between his own hands and Wonwoo's, and until fingers were entwined innocently between them. Conversations went on for hours, and words never ceased to leave lips. They inched closer until the sides of their heads pressed against each other's and every sound could be felt through their two bodies.

Every day passed by with the same feelings, hearts approaching, smiles shared, and moments they wished would last forever.

As their week neared its end, hours became as fast as minutes, and minutes as fast as seconds.

Mingyu wanted time to stop for them whenever they laid together on the floor of his living room, but time had no mercy and soon it was the night before Wonwoo's return to the hospital.

They were sitting cross-legged this time, two steaming mugs of tea between them. They drank while Mingyu flipped through a photo book now filled with random photos they had taken over the course of seven days. There were pictures of places they had been, things they had seen, and pictures of each other. He flipped past photos of Wonwoo's family, photos of Mingyu's old patients and Wonwoo's new friends.

It was a small book, but every space was filled and it held more memories than anything Mingyu owned in his small place.

He stopped when he came upon the page with a photo of Seokmin and a pale-haired man.

"Why are we keeping a photo of him in here?" Mingyu asked, setting down his tea.

"We have a photo of everyone we met this week," Wonwoo replied simply. He blew over the top of his mug and held it closer to his body.

"We met Seokmin?"

Wonwoo rolled his eyes. "Yes. He was with his friend, Soonyoung. They were at the florists near the hospital, remember?"

Mingyu snapped his fingers when the memory came back to him. "Oh yeah! He tried getting us to buy crocuses, and he was pretty persistent about it too."

"He kept saying they were symbolic for cheerfulness." Wonwoo turned the page and it landed on a page of photos of trees. "Speaking of, all plants have meanings, don't they?"

Mingyu nodded. "They do, though I don't look into that stuff. I just enjoy the plants themselves."

"I wonder what a begonia means." Wonwoo put down his tea and flipped a couple of pages until he came to the photos of Minwoo.

Mingyu tried to think back, remembering he had read it when he had been searching it up before. He couldn't recall what it had said, but he thought it must have meant something cheerful if it had happened to give him so much happiness.

"I don't know, but all of those meanings can't be accurate anyway."

Wonwoo agreed. "Probably not." He closed the book and sighed, leaning back so he sat against the couch which Mingyu had been sleeping in for the past week. He had insisted that Wonwoo take the bed.

"Tomorrow's my last day of freedom," Wonwoo mumbled, barely loud enough for Mingyu to catch.

Just the thought caused Mingyu's mood to sour and he let out a sigh himself, crawling over so he could sit next to Wonwoo. Their cups of tea were left abandoned by the book.

They watched the steam curl into the air and disappear in silence, the only sound audible was their mingled breathing.

Mingyu wanted to say something, he wanted to talk endlessly like they had done so many times before but he was afraid he would turn the conversation into something too depressing for the last night of their one-week story. He could think of so many things to say, so many things to tell this man who he had unknowingly grown fond of. Still, he held back, wanting Wonwoo to be the one to steer the conversation this time so he wouldn't be able to ruin anything.

They were silent for a long time, the steam eventually fading from the cups. 

Once the last thin strands of faint mist left into the air, Mingyu heard Wonwoo speak up next to him.

"I'm not scared anymore." Wonwoo turned his head at the same time as Mingyu and they locked eyes, their noses a mere two inches apart. "Thanks to you... You've done so much for me, and I'm so grateful. You know that, right?"

Mingyu's mouth lifted in the softest of motions, his lips forming a muted smile. "I need to say thanks to you, too." Mingyu wasn't sure what he was saying, but the words came out easily as if he had planned them beforehand.

"For what?"

"For showing me a life I never imagined I would have the chance of living."

The more time passed, the more he began to understand what he was trying to convey. He was coming to comprehend what it was that his heart had been asking him for so long.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wonwoo asked with a laugh.

"It means that I have something very important to tell you."

Wonwoo sat up straight so that he was no longer slumping against the couch. He turned so he faced Mingyu, and the latter could see the delighted look in Wonwoo's eyes.

"Tell me."

Mingyu knew exactly what he wanted, even though it had taken him a while to decipher the patterns of his beating heart, and the strange thoughts that took over his mind whenever it concerned Wonwoo.

He also knew that if he told Wonwoo now, he might be left alone and broken hearted by the end of next week. If he didn't confirm these emotions with reality, then his heart would be spared. He felt that if he never voiced his feelings, they wouldn't be real enough to harm him.

Mingyu tried telling himself to be positive, just like he had done so many times before, but, this time, his little spell didn't seem to be working.

For once, he wanted the chance to be horrifically selfish.

"When you come out of your surgery alive, I'll tell you."

Wonwoo's smile widened into a grin, much to Mingyu's surprise.

"Promise?"

Mingyu couldn't help but smile back despite the sinking feeling crowding every part of him.

"Of course."


	3. To Be Different

Wonwoo went under surgery on the 26th of July, a day following their return to the hospital. After Jisoo checked Mingyu's report on Wonwoo's mental health, the surgery was given a green light and followed as planned.

Wonwoo's family who had been staying at a hotel had spent the day at the hospital after sending him in with hugs and wishes for a fast recovery. His mother and father had greeted Mingyu when he walked by, but Wonwoo's younger brother refused to even look him in the eye. It was a short meeting--shaking hands, exchanging greetings--and then Mingyu had to go.

His day was filled with visits he had pushed back, and meetings that had been delayed because of him. He didn't have a single second to escape, and every moment that passed by without a word of Wonwoo's wellbeing was slowly choking Mingyu with worry. Although he was clawing for even just a glimpse of the operation room, he was swept away before even being able to turn down that hall.

By the end of the day, he was worn out in every way possible and his mind was only on the thought of leaving as quickly as possible so he could see the one who had been flooding his mind all day.

Mingyu packed his things into his bag and shoved his coat in unhesitantly. He made fast for the hospital wing that held the recovery rooms. He knew the room Wonwoo was in, having heard of it from Jeonghan.

Room 526.

Most of the lights had been turned off, the occasional wall lamp lighting the path for Mingyu to follow. He felt the hospital held an eerie feeling to it as if something he dreaded was waiting for him in the shadows enveloping the halls.

When he reached the fifth floor, he found the room easily.

Mingyu wanted to enter immediately but he found himself frozen to the spot. His arms resting by his sides, his feet rooted to the floor. There was that annoying little nudge in the back of his mind that told him he was going to regret everything he had done, and everything he was about to do.

He didn't want to listen to it, he just wanted to move forward, to open the door and to finally lay eyes on his beautiful friend. So he forced his feet to take a step forward, and his hands to reach out to open the door. It slid to the side smoothly, not a sound coming from the wheels that carried it open.

Mingyu was thankful for the little lamp that had been turned on next to his bed. Wonwoo looked as frail as ever, but his face was peaceful and it almost seemed as if he was smiling in his sleep. Mingyu wondered what he was dreaming for him to have looked so serene.

Mingyu pulled up the chair that was placed against the wall, setting it so he could sit next to Wonwoo's bed.

Cradled under his arms were traces of his family. A cheesy card that was covered in too many colours, a stuffed animal that Mingyu also used to own, and a book.

Unable to stop himself, Mingyu reached for the book, pulling it softly from under his arm. It was one of those cliché romantic novels that Wonwoo was constantly reading. Mingyu had seen Wonwoo reading them so many times before, but this particular hardcover was unfamiliar.

The title was Me Before You and Mingyu knew immediately what it was about. The book had been all the rage a while back, and Mingyu himself would have been swept into it if only he read books.

He disliked fiction, because it always seemed too good to be true and he was afraid that if he ever began to believe in those stories woven by creative minds, he would start looking for a story he knew didn't exist in the real world. He liked dreaming, because he knew that when he woke up, the dream would be over, and there was no evidence that it had ever really existed at all. While a book was read by thousands, experienced by millions, and there would always be traces of it somewhere in reality.

If he ever fell into a story that left him wanting more, he knew he'd never be able to escape it, and ultimately he would be left wishing for nothing. To Mingyu, who had met so many people who were waiting for something that would never come, it was the scariest thing that could happen to him.

Yet something made him flip open the book, the pages fluttering between his fingers as it fell onto a random page. Words jumped out at him, and he felt the sudden urge to read. He was looking for something more, something that would tell him that what he wanted was possible.

He knew what was causing him to crave more, and it wasn't a book or a movie, but the dark-haired man laying before him. Mingyu was still afraid, of course, but Wonwoo was real. His existence in Mingyu's life could no longer be denied, and to Mingyu, anything real was worth believing in.

His lips parted as he began to read the words aloud.

"'Hey Clark', he said.'Tell me something good'. I stared out of the window at the bright-blue Swiss sky and I told him a story of two people."

Mingyu read to the rhythm of Wonwoo's breathing and the sounds of the machines mixed into his voice and Wonwoo's rushes of air.

"Two people who shouldn't have met, and who didn't like each other much when they did, but who found they were the only two people in the world who could possibly have understood each other. And I told him of the adventures they had, the places they had gone, and the things I had seen that I had never expected to."

Mingyu didn't see the small movement of Wonwoo's eyes as they opened, focusing on him as he continued to read.

"I conjured for him electric skies and iridescent seas and evenings full of laughter and silly jokes. I drew a world for him, a world far from a Swiss industrial estate, a world in which he was still somehow the person he had wanted to be. I drew the world he had created for me, full of wonder and possibility."

Mingyu sighed with content as he finished the passage, loving the way the words fit together, and how they created in his mind a picture that he was now becoming used to. His eyes scanned it over again, linking the description with his own experiences with Wonwoo. The only thing he completely ignored was the fact that the two should have never met at all.

His only thought was that his story was a thousand times better.

Mingyu panned his focus downwards, finding the next words to read. He knew it was strange that he was reading to no one, but he thought it was better than worrying over Wonwoo when he was incapable of doing anything.

Just as the next words tumbled out of his lips, he heard a garbled chuckle bubble up from the bed in front of him.

He nearly dropped the book when he saw Wonwoo, eyes open, a smile lighting up his tired face. Another croak of laughter escaped as Mingyu slowly closed the book, setting it onto the bed.

"Are you crying over a book?" Wonwoo whispered, attempting to make his voice louder so that Mingyu could hear.

At first, Mingyu was confused. He had no clue why Wonwoo thought he was crying until he noticed himself that there were tears hanging dangerously at the edges of his eyes. Mingyu knew that the tears weren't for the book, but it was out of happiness when he saw that Wonwoo was awake. He went to wipe them away as fast as he could, scoffing while he did.

"No, I'm not a little crybaby like you."

"Then what were you crying about?" Wonwoo's voice was getting stronger as time passed, his strength coming back to him as he woke up. "Not me, I hope?"

"I was crying at how ridiculous that stuffed animal is," Mingyu said flatly, donning his poker face so Wonwoo wouldn't be able to tell he was lying.

"While you were looking at the book?"

"Do you want me to put you back to sleep?"

Wonwoo let out a burst of laughter before he groaned and clutched his stomach in pain. Mingyu sat up straighter in worry but couldn't do much but sit and watch. Mingyu's face was contorted with worry as he waited for Wonwoo to settle back down.

"I'm sorry I woke you, you should probably sleep more."

Wonwoo shook his head softly, his hair sticking out underneath him, reminding Mingyu vaguely of a lion's mane.

"I wanted to see you as soon as I woke up, so it's okay."

He said it so faintly that Mingyu thought he was hearing things but when it came to him that what he heard wasn't just a product of his imagination, a smile formed on his face. He tried desperately to hold it back, and so it came off as a lop-sided smirk.

"Did you miss me that much?"

Mingyu meant it as a joke, and his smirk made it seem all the more arrogant.

Wonwoo snorted, keeping the moving to a minimum. "No. I just wanted to know what it was that you promised to tell me."

Out of nowhere, Mingyu began choking violently on air when the topic came up, having completely forgotten in his worried state. He hadn't prepared himself to answer, and so was unsure of what to say.

In somewhat of a panic, Mingyu busied his hands by tucking Wonwoo into the bed, putting away the edges that had slipped out while he had slept the entire day. Wonwoo watched with amused eyes, slipping his arms out so he could rest it over the covers.

Mingyu regained his composure as he tucked in the last corner, turning his attention back to Wonwoo's watchful stare.

"I said I'd tell you if you survive, and you're still recovering. Don't get too ahead of yourself." Mingyu cleared his throat awkwardly. "So go to sleep and recover fast."

Wonwoo chuckled, barely moving from where Mingyu had secured him in with the blanket.

"Can I trust you to keep your promise?"

Mingyu fidgeted in his seat. "Do you have so little faith in me, Wonwoo?"

Wonwoo closed his eyes, a smile still resting on his features. "Yes, but it's there. My faith in you is as minimal as the amount of flowers I have in my room."

Immediately, Mingyu perked up to scan the room, glancing at the window, corners, and side table only to find three carnations in a vase next to him. Not believing that those were the only ones, Mingyu got up from his seat and checked the other side of the bed, the closet, and even in the drawers. Mingyu found nothing. He came back before Wonwoo, opening his mouth to talk.

"What? That's basically nothing. Do you really not-"

Mingyu paused when he saw that Wonwoo seemed to have fallen back asleep. His chest was rising and falling at a steady pace, his lips parted slightly, letting out little whistles of air.

"He must've had a tiring day..." Mingyu whispered to himself, assuming that the reason for Wonwoo falling asleep so fast was the drugs in the tubes leading into his veins.

He gathered his things from the ground and pushed the chair back against the wall.

He hovered where he stood for a while. Mingyu didn't want to leave, not yet. He wanted to talk about things that he would never be able to stop rambling about, even if that meant to ramble on to a sleeping friend and silent air. He wanted to sit in the comfort of Wonwoo's presence, and to actually tell him what he had promised to say.

He knew he shouldn't, of course, because he had another day ahead of him and some patients of his own to worry about. Not to mention, visiting hours had long since ended and he shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Mingyu sighed as he stepped a little bit closer to Wonwoo's bed, just watching as Wonwoo began to snore.

Mingyu laughed a little. All those nights that Wonwoo had spent sleeping at his house made Mingyu realize how loud of a sleeper he was. Although they were in two separate rooms, there were times when he would be kept up even later because of Wonwoo's heavy snoring. He didn't mind at the time, and he still didn't think much of it now. The sounds were just evidence that Wonwoo was still there. Mingyu actually liked the fact that Wonwoo snored so loudly.

Mingyu shook his head at how ridiculous he must've been for thinking that. He knew why he thought it, of course, but it just wasn't something that you'd hear from a person every day.

He smiled to himself as he flicked the table lamp off, engulfing the room in darkness. Moonlight filtered in through the thin curtains hanging over the window and Mingyu leaned over the bed ever so slightly, just enough so that his head was over Wonwoo's. The light was clear and its colour was nearly blue. Wonwoo seemed supernatural in that moment, and in Mingyu's eyes, he swore that the light was the result of him glowing.

He had always thought fireflies were beautiful, but none of them could compare to the way Wonwoo looked to Mingyu then. Although he was still, he was more dynamic than a disturbed field covered in dormant fireflies.

"I think I might be in love with you."

And he didn't only think he was in love with Wonwoo, he believed with all of his being that this was the man that he would be willing to give everything to.

He just didn't want to say the full truth yet, not until Wonwoo was safe from everything that could take him away, and not until Mingyu could actually look into his dark eyes to tell him.

For now, uncertainty would have to be enough.

 

\--

 

From there, things only went uphill. Wonwoo recovered fairly quickly and underwent multiple procedures to ensure the safety of his health, but otherwise, was doing well.

Mingyu visited him whenever possible and they continued the routine that they had started before the surgery. OHEA resumed, but at that point, it had become more of Mingyu just showing his affection rather than attempting to ensure a happy ending for Wonwoo.

With the way things were going, an ending wasn't anywhere in sight.

Mingyu was aware that Wonwoo's birthday was nearly two weeks after his surgery, and so he had set up a small gathering for his birthday. It wasn't much, just a room filled with friends and family and a couple of too-bright balloons from the gift shop on the first floor. It didn't do much to lighten up the bland hospital room, but the mood was no longer that of a funeral.

Everyone brought a little something as a gift.

Minghao had brought chicken from the delivery place he worked at while Jun gave Wonwoo a baseball signed by some famous pitcher. Seungcheol and his children brought hand drawn portraits of Wonwoo, and Soonyoung dropped by with Dokyeom to give a good luck charm. The gardener had also prepared a bouquet, much to Mingyu's distaste. Chan had come in with a knitted sweater that fit Wonwoo perfectly. Jeonghan and Jisoo came empty-handed, but considering all they had done, it wasn't quite necessary. Even Mingyu's new patient, Jihoon had come in with a can of juice.

Mingyu didn't have much but tacky recipe cards that he had written up by hand. He assumed that since Wonwoo's stomach was sensitive, he would need food that was more gentle on his digestive system so he had spent a night scouring the internet for recipes that were both healthy and delicious. The recipe cards were attached by a metal ring and were nearly illegible due to Mingyu's chicken scratch.

Wonwoo had loved it despite how awful Mingyu thought it was, and he spent most of his time sitting on his bed attempting to decipher the blocks that were scrawled against the white paper. The teasing was incessant and Wonwoo was ruthless with his way of mocking the writing. They didn't stop going back and forth with their shouting and the others watched with knowing eyes.

The night ended peacefully, and then they were back to normal days.

Time passed quickly, and every day was set around their time together. It had reduced considerably compared to the way they were before, but it only made sense with the way their time was taken up by other people. Mingyu's new patient, Jihoon, had anger issues and at first, he was quite the handful. While Wonwoo still had quite a ways to go before he could be cleared.

Soon, the summer passed, and the leaves turned into colours of fire. Mingyu watched as flowers wilted and empty branches came to replace them. An image of the sky seemed like an ocean of sparks and it was clear that fall was in full force.

Once Wonwoo was back at his best, they would sit out on their rock and discuss the books that Mingyu had grown a liking to. Wonwoo would give him suggestions and he would go to buy the book or to borrow them from the library. Their topics for conversation widened, and it only made them more excited about seeing each other every day, despite them being already delighted about each other's presence.

When they sat outside for too long, they would have to brush fallen maple leaves from each other's hair or lap and eventually Mingyu began collecting them. He didn't keep them in a particularly special place, but he actually stuffed them into Wonwoo's jacket as a surprise for him when he would finally don it to leave the hospital.

On days where the wind was too strong for them to go outside, they would sit on the floors next to the windows in the skywalk. At this point, Mingyu no longer cared about the stares from the nurses or other doctors and Wonwoo would feel embarrassed but would never leave. Mingyu realized at this point that he was a psychiatrist who did weird things with his patients all the time, and he shouldn't have been ashamed to do extravagant things with Wonwoo.

He also realized that there were rules as to which lines doctors should not cross, but seeing as he hadn't crossed it yet, Mingyu didn't want to dwell on it.

September 25th, Mingyu had an appointment set up with Jihoon, and they sat outside for a change, breathing in the crisp air of fall.

Jihoon was a patient that didn't have a serious case, but he had a history with abuse and anger issues. Mingyu thought he had improved considerably since the first time they had met in July.

"So you're not using your guitar as a weapon anymore?"

Jihoon shook his head but kept his glance far away from the doctor's.

"It's only used for music now."

Mingyu nodded and leaned forward so he could prop himself up against the table that separated them. In the past, Jihoon had a problem with abuse where he would attempt to hit others with his guitar without a second thought. When Mingyu's talks about how precious human lives are failed to ween him off his abusive behaviours, Mingyu began to tell Jihoon about how fragile and precious musical instruments are. That route seemed to work a lot more than the first.

"Your guitar works wonders, you know that, right?"

Jihoon looked back at the guitar case behind him, smiling as he did. "Yeah, it's almost as if it were magic."

When Jihoon turned to face Mingyu, he gave Jihoon a wide grin.

"So when are you composing me a song?"

Jihoon scoffed. "Why would I ever do that for you?"

"Well, composing songs seems to distract you from the world's evil." As Jihoon had put it before.

"Yes, but why would I make one for you? "

"Because you promised," Mingyu replied simply.

"And why would I keep a promise to you, when you can't even keep a promise to Wonwoo?"

Mingyu was shocked that someone else knew about the promise. So shocked, in fact, that he nearly fell out of his chair.

"W-what promise?" Mingyu asked as he regained his balance as coolly as he could. He cleared his throat and began tapping the table to busy his hands.

Not only was the promise a little embarrassing, but the true nature of it was forbidden. The fact that doctor-patient relationships were unacceptable was obvious to everyone. If Jihoon knew, he could only imagine the amount of other people who knew. He just hoped that the promise wasn't transparent enough to hint others to his emotions.

"I don't know. Wonwoo wanted me to bug you about it."

Mingyu sighed quietly in relief, relaxing back into the curve of the plastic lawn chair he was sitting in.

Jihoon rolled his eyes as he leaned back and crossed his arms. He looked annoyed. "I don't understand why he can't tell you himself, it's not like I'm his messenger or something."

"Because he's a brat."

Despite the statement being an insult, a slight smile was shown on Mingyu's face.

Jihoon sighed and shook his head at the wistful look Mingyu was making.

"Can you guys just get together? It's no secret that you two are obsessed with each other, and Wonwoo's leaving today anyway, so what's the problem?"

It took a minute for Mingyu to understand what Jihoon was saying and when he did, Mingyu jumped up at the sudden news, having only heard it for the first time. He knew that most of the serious things were over and that his departure would be soon, but he had never been given an exact date.

"Today? As in today, today?"

Jihoon rolled his eyes for a second time in a span of two minutes and stood up himself. "Yes, today, today." He bent over to grab his guitar, curling his fingers around the black straps. "I'll leave early, you can go catch your boyfriend."

Mingyu gave a quick bow of appreciation, the tag that Jihoon had haphazardly named Wonwoo flying over his oblivious mind. He didn't utter another word before he left, in too much of a hurry to know what to say. He made immediately for the nearest door and wove his way through the busy lobby. The hospital corridors were typically empty, but the first floor was always buzzing with people.

Mingyu ran through the halls leading to Wonwoo's room, the halls silent save for the occasional nurse who greeted him on his way. As he sped through the skywalk, he spotted Jihoon pushing in the chair he had left out when he had made for the hospital. He sent out a silent thanks to the shortie and continued down until he found Wonwoo's room.

The door was closed, as always, and Mingyu couldn't hear a single sound coming from the other side. For a second, he was afraid he had already missed him, before he reminded himself that Wonwoo's room was typically silent seeing as he spent most of his time reading when he wasn't in Mingyu's company.

Mingyu opened the way to the room, the door sliding aside without a sound. As it came to a stop, he stepped in just in time to see Wonwoo shrug on his jacket unknowingly.

A hundred red and oranges leaves came spilling out through every opening on the dark jacket, covering the pristine floor in hot colours. They glided, and twirled in different directions, some of them reaching the edge of Mingyu's shoes.

The usually bare room was now painted with vibrant leaves.

Wonwoo stood in the middle of it all, his shoes barely visible under all of the foliage that had appeared out of nowhere. He stood stock still and the expression on his face was unreadable.

"Mingyu, you're cleaning this up."

Mingyu was surprised that Wonwoo had figured it out so quickly.

Wonwoo pulled his feet from under the colourful pile and followed the path of leaves with his eyes before they stopped on Mingyu. He turned his body completely so he could face the doctor who stood innocently at the end of the trail. Wonwoo looked annoyed, and Mingyu couldn't help but give him his biggest grin. He stayed where he was, a red floor between the two of them.

"It's to say congratulations."

"And you couldn't just say it like any other person would?"

"That would have been boring."

"That would have been less of a mess."

Mingyu chuckled as he bent over to pick up a leaf, twirling it over by its stem. It's image flickered like a small flame's.

"But isn't it pretty?" Mingyu asked, holding up the leaf so that it lined up next to Wonwoo's face in his vision.

"It could have been pretty outside..."

Mingyu sighed and stopped the leaf. He held it next to Wonwoo's face for a little while more before he put his hand down, letting the leaf fall back to the floor. The smile on his face softened as Wonwoo buttoned up his jacket.

Mingyu wanted to say something but Wonwoo was faster, opening his mouth to let quiet words tumble past his lips.

"... But, thank you." Wonwoo said it quickly, avoiding Mingyu's gaze.

Mingyu had to stop himself from gushing over how cute he was and instead, he laughed a little, taking light steps over to Wonwoo. The leaves crumbled beneath his feet, making a clamor of crunching that was pleasing to the ears.

"So you do like it?" Mingyu asked as he stopped before Wonwoo, tilting his head so his hair would flop over to one side of his forehead.

Wonwoo shrugged, returning the smile Mingyu had kept on for a while. "As long as I'm not the one cleaning it, I guess it's okay."

Mingyu nodded. "That can be arranged."

"Sweet. Then you can stay and take care of this," Wonwoo motioned at the floor with sweeping motions. "and I can go ahead and leave."

Mingyu's reflexes kicked in, and he grabbed Wonwoo's hand without thinking. "You can't leave without me."

Wonwoo's eyes flicked to their hands for a quick second before he returned his attention to Mingyu.

"Why not?"

Mingyu was now fully aware of what he had done but he didn't let go, instead resting their hands between them comfortably. It made him a little flustered, but if Wonwoo wasn't bothered by it, he saw no reason to let go.

"Well, it's a little unfair to me."

Wonwoo raised an eyebrow to question Mingyu.

"I mean -- you didn't even tell me you were leaving today, so I couldn't get anything ready to clean it up," Mingyu continued.

Wonwoo sighed dramatically in mock annoyance.

"Fine, I'll stay behind, but you better make it fast."

Mingyu nodded and let go of Wonwoo's hand reluctantly. He made fast for the door and gave a single glance behind him before he left.

"Don't you dare leave me without warning, okay?"

Wonwoo rolled his eyes.

"I would never." 

 

\--

 

Mingyu had swept up the floor while Wonwoo sat on the bed, dangling his legs back and forth off the edge. Once the floor was back to its original state, they left to go back to Mingyu's place.

Wonwoo didn't have a permanent space in Seoul so until he decided to go back to his family, he opted to stay with Mingyu.

Their days were different to how they were the first time Wonwoo stayed over. Now, Mingyu still had to go to work, and Wonwoo wanted to return to his own line of work.

Wonwoo was an editor for anything and everything, and while he was getting on his feet, he had decided to stay with his parents. He worked on projects that ranged from News articles to full novels. He had been required to take a break when he was diagnosed to reduce stress, and now that he was free from his illness, he wanted to get right back to it. He also took advantage of the fact that now he was in Seoul, giving him better options for work projects.

Mingyu gave Wonwoo full access to everything in his house, and Wonwoo spent most of the hours that Mingyu was at work in front of the computer.

On top of his career as an editor, Wonwoo finally took the chance to take the classes he had longed to take before. He took a class for French, telling Mingyu it was because French was the language of romance. He also tried to get his First Aid certificate and having a boyfriend who was a doctor helped him considerably. It was the simple procedures that even Mingyu knew about.

When Mingyu returned, they would make something together to eat and then spend the rest of their evenings lazing around on the couch or walking along the busy streets of Seoul. As always, they never ran out of things to discuss or things to do, and so nights seemed to fly by in seconds.

Mingyu liked to take Wonwoo to new cafés or bookstores so that they could talk about what Wonwoo did in his job. Mingyu would help whenever Wonwoo was stuck and give him ideas whenever he had a block. Wonwoo would return the favor by taking Mingyu on book runs so that he could suggest new stories.

On Mingyu's free days, they would start the mornings by watering the many plants that were now tagged and named. Then, they would go out the entire day to do whatever they wanted. Visiting friends, working on their individual papers, sitting in cafés, shopping and anything they could come up with.

October 11th, a day where Mingyu's schedule was completely open, Mingyu had bought tickets to the amusement park. They dressed up in layers to fight off the bite of late fall and decided to wear their matching shoes.

The park wasn't awfully busy, and most of the lines were empty compared to how crowded they usually were.

The two started off with the simple rides like the tea cups and the merry-go-round. When they stopped by the bumper cars, the two had the area to themselves and went all out in knocking the other out. Rollercoasters and gyro drops were taken with screams and questionable crying from Mingyu. Of course, he refused ever having cried at all, but Wonwoo knew. They decided to move on and forget about it, going immediately to an interactive ride.

When the sun began to set, they bought carnival foods (mainly cotton candy) and played with claw machines. They won each other prizes, but while Wonwoo had gotten Mingyu a cute fist-sized bunny, Mingyu had looked for the ugliest bear and went after it relentlessly until he managed to get it for Wonwoo. He had insisted that the uglier the stuffed animal, the cuter it would become over time. Wonwoo looked at it grumpily before tucking it under his arm, refusing to give it another glance.

Once they had covered most things, Mingyu pointed out that it was the perfect time to ride the Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel actually had a line, albeit short, and they waited behind a family of four as they inched towards the wheel. The little girl sitting in her father's arms would turn to give glances to Wonwoo and Mingyu, and Mingyu would return her curiosity with a grin. She would hide her face in her father's shoulder for a second before looking up again.

Wonwoo smiled at the exchange happening before him and stepped forward so he stood next to Mingyu within the chains that closed in the line.

"You seem to be good with kids, surprisingly."

"Of course, I have to be. Adults aren't the only ones with mental problems, you know." Mingyu said before he gave yet another smile to the girl. "But why are you surprised by this?"

"I thought you'd be too immature to handle them," Wonwoo said, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Hey, I'll have you know I am very mature."

"Really? I don't see it."

The family ahead of them climbed into a cart and the little girl waved at Mingyu before the wheel was moving again.

"Just because you're older than me doesn't mean you can abuse me like this."

"What's the point of me being older, then?"

The two of them stepped into the next cart and placed their stuffed animals next to themselves so they could eat their cotton candy with their free hands. Wonwoo stuffed a piece of the blue sugar into his mouth and continued with what he was saying before.

"I think the wise talks and taking care of should be left to the professional."

"I need taking care of sometimes, though."

"Then get yourself a boyfriend."

Mingyu's eyes widened in surprise as soon as the words left Wonwoo's mouth. It took him a second to realize what he had said.

"Or girlfriend. Or just -- you know, don't date. Whatever works for you." Wonwoo added quickly, trying to get rid of the awkward atmosphere he had just created.

Mingyu nodded silently and they sat without saying a word as the wheel took them around in a circle. They ate their cotton candy while watching the dark horizon. From the ride, everything in the park was visible, and all of the lights on the different attractions resembled the stars above them.

Eventually, the wheel stopped them at the top and Mingyu began talking again.

"In the books, this is when the two lovers would go on the Ferris wheel and confess to each other. Then, the fireworks would go off behind them."

Wonwoo didn't say anything in reply, instead looking at Mingyu suspiciously.

"And in the dramas too. Doesn't this kind of remind you of that scene from My Love From Another Star?" Mingyu continued, not realizing that Wonwoo was waiting for something from him.

Wonwoo thought for a second, putting away his suspicions. "Didn't the guy get rejected?"

Mingyu waved him off. "That's not important, what's important is that he confessed with his heartfelt emotions."

Wonwoo leaned toward Mingyu, squinting his eyes at him. "Are you getting teary-eyed? You must have cried during that scene."

"Why are you always accusing me of crying?" Mingyu asked defensively.

"Because you're always crying."

Their cart jerked a little as they began moving again.

"Says the one who sobs halfway through a book."

"Read it before you judge me!"

"There's no way anything that sad could happen in the middle of the book. It's the endings that always get people."

"They could kill a character in the middle of the book," Wonwoo said as they went by the employee who controlled the ride. He gave them a weird look as they passed.

"Did you just give me spoilers?"

Wonwoo sighed.

"I never said that's what happened."

"Yeah, but you implied i-"

Before Mingyu could continue, Wonwoo shoved a piece of cotton candy in his mouth, effectively shutting him up.

Mingyu scrunched up his eyebrows in frustration but ate the cotton candy anyway.

"By the way, Mingyu, don't you have something to tell me?"

They passed by the top again, all of the lights of the park visible from where they sat. The wind whistled through the caged cart, rustling Mingyu's hair so it stood on end. Wonwoo's shorter hair flew only for a second before falling again.

Mingyu swallowed the sugar that had dissolved in his mouth.

"Yes, I do."

Wonwoo sat against the cushioned seat in anticipation. He had waited a while to hear what it was Mingyu had wanted to tell him. Although Mingyu had promised Wonwoo to tell him his little secret, it had already been a while since he was released from the hospital and he still had no idea what Mingyu wanted to say.

Mingyu laced his hands together on his lap, leaning forward so he could rest on his knees.

"Well, it's nothing much, really..."

Wonwoo nodded, urging him to spill everything.

"But I just wanted to tell you," Mingyu took a dramatic pause. "You should really get some better glasses. Whenever you sit in front of the computer with those round monstrosities, all I can think is: 'Wow, what a nerd.' I know you have the money for new ones, so are you just attached to those or something? Oh, and don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with you being a nerd. Hell, you're cute as a nerd but those glasses take up like half of your face. It reminds me of those fish with eyes bigger than their mouth. Do those exist? I'm probably just making something up from my imagination. Plus, I like when I can see your whole face instead of hiding half of it under rims. Can you imagine the amount of times I've come home and nearly had a heart attack because of those gaping glasses? I didn't think so -- Oh look, ride's over."

Wonwoo turned to see the boy looking at them, and a couple waiting expectantly to get on the ride. The boy that worked as the conductor pressed something and the door unlocked, jumping a little as it opened just a smidge.

Mingyu opened the cage door and stepped out with the stuffed bunny and his cotton candy. He turned to Wonwoo who was frowning where he sat. It was clear that what he heard was not what he had wanted.

"Are you coming?"

Wonwoo huffed and climbed out the door that was being held open.

"I hate you, did you know that, Mingyu?"

"You're going to hate me even more after this," Mingyu said cheerily as he grabbed Wonwoo's hand without hesitation and began running towards the haunted house.

Wonwoo tried to stop them, but despite Mingyu being younger, he was taller and stronger. He pulled them easily past people and the rope barrier surrounding where the line would normally be. Mingyu gave two tickets to the employee in charge of the ride and soon they were standing in the middle of a pitch black room.

"Why are we here of all places?" Wonwoo asked, irritation dripping off his voice.

"It'll be fun, I promise."

Mingyu took Wonwoo's hand one more time and opened the door that would lead them to the rest of the house. The first hall was already enough to get them screaming. A white-clothed dark haired little girl came charging at them from the side and they were left running as fast as they could while they pushed out the loudest screams they had ever made. They couldn't get very far until something came falling from the ceiling down on them. It was slightly damp, but otherwise, none of them stopped long enough to check.

The hall lead to a fork in their path and they stuck to the right, running into a cart that sped across their path. In it was a moving body. Probably another actor but the two of them jumped at the sight anyway, avoiding contact with the cart as they ran down the corridor.

Mingyu lead them into another hall that was lit with strobing white lights. A voice began whispering words they couldn't understand and they shuffled through as fast as they could without knocking over the multiple cupboards that covered the floor.

Once through that hall, they found themselves once again in the darkness.

They were holding each other's hands so tight that they could hardly feel their fingers anymore.

"Once I'm out of here, you're dying Kim Mingyu."

"Please don't say that in a place like this, it makes it seem like it will actually happen."

A light flickered and Mingyu saw the girl from before again. He screamed at the top of his lungs and pulled Wonwoo down a dark hall that branched out every few steps. He could hear the sound of the haunted house actors following them.

Mingyu turned down a hall that was covered in glass cases that held fake body parts.

"Why did you choose this place when you're scared out of your mind?" Wonwoo asked as they passed by the cases with careful steps.

They got through that hall without difficulties and stopped before a door.

"Because it's less cliché for what I want to do."

"Less cliché for what?"

Mingyu placed a hand on the door and pushed it open. He stepped passed the ornate threshold and pulled Wonwoo in with him. The hall was dark like the others but a chandelier was visible above their heads, and famous torn paintings hung along the walls. The style was victorian.

Mingyu pulled Wonwoo forward so that they faced each other; although they could barely see anything. Mingyu didn't need the light anymore, he knew everything about they way Wonwoo's eyes moved, and which way his mouth curved. He had memorized everything about Wonwoo's face and he could imagine exactly what he looked like in that moment.

"Less cliché for me to tell you, that I'm in love with you."

The haunted house's silence suddenly felt warmer, and Mingyu could see Wonwoo shifting slightly where he stood. He didn't say anything but instead, his grip loosened a little.

"I'm in love with you, Wonwoo. I don't really know how or when, but I just know that whenever I see you, I know that my life has changed, and there's really no going back for me anymore." Mingyu reached for Wonwoo's face, and placed his free hand against his cheek. "You've got something about you that is annoyingly lovable."

Wonwoo was still silent, but Mingyu could tell that he was looking right at him through the shadows. Mingyu's heart was beating hard from all the adrenaline and the ridiculously placed confession, and he could only hope that Wonwoo was feeling the same thing.

"I've been afraid to tell you because I thought you'd be taken from me, and then I just wanted to wait for the right time, and I guess this is the right time."

Wonwoo snickered a little, the first noise he made since Mingyu told him about his real emotions.

"I love you." Mingyu repeated.

Without warning, something shoved Mingyu from behind and he went toppling onto Wonwoo. He squealed as his body hit into Wonwoo's. They didn't hit each other hard enough to fall over, but they had to hold each other so they wouldn't lose balance. They held each other in an awkward embrace for a short second, before Mingyu split them apart in a frightened haste.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," Mingyu repeated as he pulled himself away from Wonwoo, tightening his grip on Wonwoo's hand once more. They ran down the hall as fast as their legs could take them. Wonwoo tried his best to keep up, and they turned down random halls until they came upon another door. They had ignored everything for the past few corridors and so didn't notice the monsters they had picked up along the way.

"We're going to die, we're going to die, oh shit I've screwed up. Oh shit." Mingyu rambled as he fumbled with the knob, attempting but failing at opening the door that kept them from the safety of the amusement park outside.

"Mingyu, move."

And so Mingyu moved to the side, leaving an opening for Wonwoo to open the door for them. Within a second, it swung open and Wonwoo was pulling them outside to the night sky.

Mingyu hardly had time to breathe before Wonwoo's arms wrapped around him, hugging him so tightly that Mingyu couldn't see his face. His heart was beating wildly from all of the events that were screwing with it, and he now knew that Wonwoo's was too. He could feel it through his chest.

Mingyu heard a small sniffle come from Wonwoo, and he immediately wrapped his arms around the shorter of them.

"Are you crying?"

"Yes I am, you stupid psychiatrist, do you really have to ask? I thought you were good at figuring these things out."

"... Are you scared-"

"No, it's because I love you too, you insufferable idiot."

Mingyu smiled stupidly and squeezed Wonwoo even tighter.

"You're so annoyingly lovable."

\--

After their trip had ended with the actors running out and shooing them away, Mingyu and Wonwoo went back to their shared place at Mingyu's apartment, hands woven together. They never let go of each other until they arrived at Mingyu's place.

They left their stuffed animals on the couch and Mingyu went immediately to brew some tea. As always, Wonwoo sat at the island counter and watched Mingyu as he prepared everything; except this time, Wonwoo would bother Mingyu every other second to ask him a question.

"Do you really love me?"

And Mingyu would repeatedly reply with the same thing.

"I really love you, Wonwoo."

It didn't take long for the tea to finish and they took their mugs out to the living room where they curled up against the couch together. They had a completely new topic to talk about now and they couldn't stop the questions that kept coming up.

"Why do you love me?" Wonwoo questioned as he scooted closer Mingyu.

"There's more than one reason... Your eyes, your obsession with books, the way you talk, your childish tendencies..."

"My childish tendencies? Speak for yourself."

"I'm sure you love that about me too."

"Keep dreaming, Mingyu."

"And do you ever dream about me?"

"No comment."

Mingyu chuckled and watched as Wonwoo drank his tea.

"I dream about you sometimes," Mingyu confessed shamelessly.

Wonwoo began coughing on his drink at the sudden comment and had to take a second to regain himself so that he could look Mingyu in the eyes.

"When? About what? Why?"

"I once dreamed that you were sitting in the tree outside of my apartment and hissed at me whenever I tried to take you down."

Wonwoo let out a somewhat relieved laugh.

"Of course it was something completely out of the ordinary."

Mingyu smiled.

"This was before I fell in love with you."

"And when did you know you loved me?" Wonwoo asked.

"When I had to spend an entire day wondering whether or not I'd ever see you again."

"Oh, that's dark."

"And when did you know you loved me?" Mingyu wrapped an arm around Wonwoo's waist and pulled him in so he sat propped against Mingyu's side.

"I don't know, one day I just kind of looked at you and thought: 'Oh, I'm in love with him'."

"Yeah, but what day was that?"

"Really, Mingyu? I have no clue about the exact date."

"Well, you should, because I remember my date."

"Not everyone's got schedules every day to help them remember that stuff."

Mingyu frowned and took a sip of his steaming tea, sighing as he pulled it away.

"I'm disappointed in you, Wonwoo."

"Fine, if you're going to be that way..." Wonwoo pried himself away from Mingyu's grasp and left his tea on the ground. "I'm going to bed now."

He was clearly messing with Mingyu, but the taller sprung to his feet and wrapped a sure hand around Wonwoo's wrist.

Wonwoo was turned back towards Mingyu and he nearly kicked over the cup of tea he had left behind. He went crashing into Mingyu's chest and could feel Mingyu moving with laughter.

"Not yet, I'm sorry, don't go to bed yet."

Wonwoo took a step back so he could look up at Mingyu's smiling eyes.

"And why would I stay behind for you?"

"Hmm." Mingyu thought for a second, his eyes moving around the room to think of something. He thought momentarily that he should say that it was because he loved him, but Mingyu came up with a better idea.

Without hesitation, he reached up to cup Wonwoo's face in his hands and leaned down to land a kiss on his lips. He lingered for a while, wondering if Wonwoo would reciprocate, but when he stood stock still, Mingyu opened his eyes and tilted his head back to see Wonwoo's face.

His ears were insanely red and his eyes opened wide. He looked at Mingyu as if he were seeing him for the first time, and within a second, his own hands were around Mingyu's neck, pulling him back in for another kiss.

This time, the two of them moved together, indulging in every part of the kiss. They explored each other to every extent and when they pulled away, their eyes were glowing and breaths were ragged. The smiles on their faces didn't go unnoticed.

After that, Wonwoo stayed back happily and would surprise Mingyu with a peck or a full-on make-out session between bursts of conversation. Three words were whispered repeatedly until they let into their exhaustion.

"I love you."

They fell asleep on the couch, wrapped together in a small blanket, the taste of tea and each other on their lips.


	4. Days Belonging

It didn't take long before Mingyu and Wonwoo became official. It wasn't like it made any difference to them, seeing as they still shared kisses whenever possible, and their dates were still the same leisurely days they had before. They still slept separately most of the time, but on Mingyu's bad days, he'd crawl into bed with Wonwoo and they'd sleep snuggled against each other. The only change that occurred was that they could openly be together, and the people around them now knew.

They hadn't announced it to the world, but, before long, the people around them started to notice the little changes in the way they stood next to each other and the way they caught each other's eyes. Soon, just about everybody knew and wherever they went, they would always receive comments on what they were like as a couple.

Most of their friends were unsurprised at the news. In fact, most of them had the same reaction; saying that it was about time, that they were happy for them and everything along those lines. Seokmin was especially ecstatic, claiming that he had bet on them getting together since the beginning and that Soonyoung owed him some money.

Even Jisoo, who Mingyu had thought would frown upon the relationship, congratulated them. He explained by simply saying that Wonwoo was no longer a patient and whoever wasn't a patient would be fine to have a relationship with.

Everyone seemed to have been able to see it from the beginning, and so Mingyu and Wonwoo were in for blissful days as soon as the word had gotten out.

Their only concerns were their families. While being so kept up with each other, Mingyu had completely forgotten to tell them about Wonwoo's existence, and Wonwoo had forgotten to tell his family about his real feelings for the doctor. Of course, either way, it would have come as a surprise, seeing as none of them had ever bet on falling in love with someone of the same gender before.

They put off meeting their families for a while, instead, deciding to take some time to just live together.

Things became incredibly domestic; Wonwoo began cooking alongside Mingyu, they went shopping for groceries together whenever needed, Mingyu would always come home to a messy house and his nerdy boyfriend sitting innocently before the computer.

They began to learn each other's little perks and pet peeves and day by day, they got closer.

Of course, fights were a normal thing, but they always occurred as teasing and bantering rather than actual manifestations of hatred. They mostly occurred whenever Wonwoo left his socks randomly around the house, causing Mingyu to rant on about laundry baskets.

They refrained from their teasing whenever they had people over, but sometimes it came out anyway, and their friends began getting used to the sight of them lost in their own world.

Seungcheol and his two kids, Seungkwan, and Hansol, were the ones who came over the most, and eventually the kids became attached to the two. Wonwoo was Seungkwan's favourite, and Mingyu was Hansol's favourite. Mingyu's loveseat became the kid's spot in his place.

Their other friends were always coming over to do anything, and although Mingyu would complain about his place becoming a hangout, he would always open the door to them anyway.

Eventually, the group convinced them to finally go to their families, and so on a cold week of early December, Wonwoo and Mingyu went on a road trip together, their ultimate goal being revealing their relationship to their families.

They went south first to Anyang city and stayed at Mingyu's parents' house.

The two were greeted warmly by both his parents, and by his sister Minseo. The town and house were exactly as Mingyu remembered, making it easier for him to show Wonwoo around.

The family didn't really question Mingyu bringing someone home, they just assumed he was a friend at first. To say the least, it was awkward when they told his parents at the end of the day and Mingyu could hardly sleep when his parents told him they'd take the night to think it through. His sister, meanwhile, told him it would've been fine because everyone had already guessed he was gay. Her words were strangely reassuring, and for the first time in a while, he realized how much he had missed his little sister over the years.

The feeling didn't last long, though. She ruined the moment completely when she mentioned that everyone had also guessed that he was a mindless idiot. Wonwoo had agreed, and Mingyu had shut himself into his room for the rest of the night, only agreeing to open up when they both apologized. He slept easily despite the situation, thanks to the two who were nothing but teasing and jokes.

In the morning, there was no shouting, denying, or shunning like Mingyu had feared, instead his parents accepting it by treating Wonwoo like their own son.

They spent four days with them, learning how to make kimchi and reminiscing about Mingyu's childhood years. They helped set up decorations for the upcoming festivities, and Wonwoo pulled out some of Mingyu's old belongings, handing them to him with a snarky comment.They went downtown with his sister often to go shopping and Wonwoo became close to her, enjoying the fact that he had someone else to bully Mingyu with. Dinners were warm and delicious, conversation topics usually revolving around what life was like after Mingyu moved away.

Wonwoo came to learn about Mingyu's family, and, by the end, he felt as if he was a part of it.

When they left, Mingyu's mom filled the car with food for the road, and his dad looked almost sad to see him go. Minseo, on the other hand, was crying quite a bit. Mingyu felt touched at first until he learned that the tears were for her new friend, Wonwoo, who was leaving her after having only known each other for a couple of days.

Mingyu couldn't be too angry, he was too busy being happy that his family had accepted them completely.

They left Anyang grinning, music playing softly through the packed car. Before long, they were back on the road, this time going towards Changwon, Gyeongsangnam. The drive from Anyang to Changwon would have been four hours but they stopped at multiple cities along the way, getting something to eat or going sightseeing at the popular resting spots. They stopped at Chungju to walk along the lake, at Hamchang to eat traditional foods and stayed at Daegu for a day to explore the city.

When they finally reached Changwon, it had been two days since they left Anyang. Everything was covered by a thin layer of snow, and the sky was hardly visible beyond the grey clouds covering it. Small snowflakes fell down softly, their presences hardly noticed because of their tiny bodies.

Wonwoo commented that on a day as lovely as that, nothing could go wrong.

Mingyu called him crazy for thinking that a grey sky could be considered a part of a nice day.

When they pulled up to Wonwoo's house, his parents were already standing outside expectantly, his little brother, Bohyuk, standing awkwardly next to them. As soon as Mingyu stopped the car, Wonwoo jumped out and ran towards his family. His parents ran to meet him in the middle, Bohyuk trailing behind them.

Mingyu got out but stood leaning against his car, leaving Wonwoo to see the family he hadn't seen in a while. He saw Mingyu wrap Bohyuk in a hug and although he looked unwilling at first, he let into it eventually, returning the hug with happiness written all over his face. They had a huge group hug, entrapping Wonwoo in the middle.

After a minute, his mother looked up and smiled at Mingyu. They broke apart and waved him over.

He realized that at the mention of his name, Bohyuk became rigid and stiff all over again.

Mingyu walked over uncertainly. He wasn't sure what it was that Bohyuk was so wary about, but he didn't want to have any bad blood with Wonwoo's little brother. He hesitated when Wonwoo's mother opened her arms for a hug, but he let himself be wrapped in her embrace anyway. She was small and easy for Mingyu to get around. He loved her hugs.

Afterwards, Mingyu greeted Wonwoo's dad with the utmost respect and professionalism. He seemed happy enough and kept thanking Mingyu for taking care of Wonwoo this entire time.

Wonwoo's father quickly ushered them all inside to escape the cold weather.

Bohyuk still hadn't spoken a word to Mingyu.

Mingyu couldn't fathom why, and whenever he attempted to start a conversation, he wouldn't even receive a reply.

He figured out soon enough, though.

When the five of them were enjoying the lunch Wonwoo's mother had prepared, she brought up the topic of them dating. Needless to say, both Wonwoo and Mingyu were surprised the point had been brought up without them even mentioning it.

It seemed as if the family had talked about it together before, and both parents had come to terms that whatever made Wonwoo happy was good enough for them.

Bohyuk, on the other hand, seemed to hate the idea of them being together. He argued that their relationship wasn't even allowed; he insisted that a relationship between a doctor would be too much for Wonwoo who was always playing between life and death.

Wonwoo became furious, asking what right Bohyuk had to decide what was and was not good for him. Mingyu had to calm him down, and the lunch ended early on a bitter note. For the remainder of the day, Wonwoo wanted to escape the house so they left to visit his old schools and favourite parks. They tried not to mention his little brother but he came up from time to time; as an idle thought or a voiced worry. They returned to the house with renewed energy and Bokyuk was nowhere to be found.

They had dinner without him, and his parents were worried when he didn't return even after they had finished cleaning up.

That night, they all went out to search for him, and even Wonwoo, despite having been angry at him before, searched fervently with worry. They split and searched different places, Wonwoo looking for him at the places he was most likely to be, and Mingyu searching the places they had been to that morning.

Mingyu was the one to find him sitting alone at the park solemnly. He remarked that the cliché trait must have run in the family.

He didn't say anything at first, instead standing next to where Bohyuk was sitting on the bench. He wasn't actually sure what to say really, he didn't know how to make Bohyuk understand what they had and what they wanted. Mingyu had also had the same worries when they first started off together, and so he understood why he was feeling that way.

It was clear that Bohyuk was just afraid for Wonwoo.

It took him a while before he was actually able to begin speaking, but when he did, he couldn't stop.

The message he relayed were all words about his feelings for Wonwoo, his days with Wonwoo, the promises he would keep for Wonwoo, the happiness he shared with Wonwoo, the things he would give up for Wonwoo.

Mingyu could only hope that Bohyuk would understand his sincerity and see that he would never let any harm come to his older brother.

Mingyu couldn't be sure what he was thinking, though, because with every sentence that he spoke, was met with silence.

Eventually, Bohyuk stood and began walking away.

Mingyu wanted to tell him to come back but refrained from calling his name. He followed behind silently, instead. At that point, Mingyu no longer had anything to say to him, and trying desperately to look for reasons to back himself up wouldn't make anything better.

While they made their trip back, Mingyu texted Wonwoo to tell him he was safe and at that moment, Bohyuk spoke up.

Mingyu found what he said quite heartwarming.

He said he didn't want to be against something that made Wonwoo happier than he had ever seen, and that Mingyu better take good care of him.

He ran off shortly after, not giving Mingyu a chance to reply. Either way, all he would have said was 'thank you', and he thought that he would have plenty of chances in the future to say it anyway.

That particularly long night ended with the moon showing up from behind the clouds, and the sound of an older brother scolding his younger brother.

The next four days that they spent there went a lot more leisurely than the first. This time, it was Mingyu's turn to poke fun at Wonwoo's outstanding qualities with his brother, and Bohyuk became visibly closer to Mingyu everyday. Wonwoo was worried that they would get each other in trouble.

Mingyu learned about their lifestyles and even got to take Bohyuk to school. Wonwoo's parents trusted him with the cooking often and they went off with him to buy ingredients from the market.

He was most excited when Wonwoo took him to Yeojwa stream and even if the cherry blossoms weren't in bloom, the sight was just as breathtaking due to the frost-ridden branches and the frozen water beneath them. Everything was glistening under the sun, and not a single cloud blocked out the crisp blue sky that day.

When they kissed under the arc of frozen branches, Mingyu etched the date in his mind as the most beautiful day of his life.

December 18th, standing next to Yeojwa stream with the only person he'd ever need for the remainder of his days.

The day they left, Wonwoo's mother was a mess and Bohyuk was back to how he had been the first day. Stoic, quite, and adverting from everyone's gaze. This time, Mingyu could tell he was sad to see them go. So he gave him the biggest bear hug he could manage and said that 'thank you' he had been unable to say before. The younger was making a fuss, clearly embarrassed by the hug. Mingyu took advantage of the blush rising on his neck and repeatedly told him how cute he was being.

Wonwoo pretended to wretch at the sight of the two of them, and everyone burst out into laughter and despite the cold breeze, everything seemed a lot warmer. Wonwoo's mother stopped crying and his father was grinning from ear-to-ear.

The three members all reminded Wonwoo to take care of himself and to eat well before they loaded themselves onto the car. They watched as the house and three silhouettes faded into small dots behind them, and they were back on the road.

Mingyu decided last minute that he didn't want the trip to be over yet, and drove them a little further towards Busan. Wonwoo tried to protest, but Mingyu insisted.

The drive wasn't long, lasting a little under two hours and Wonwoo managed to sneak in a nap while Mingyu focused on the road. When he woke, Mingyu was grinning in his face and the car was stopped in front of a modern hotel by the beach.

Mingyu began saying Wonwoo's name over and over until he got out of the car, bags in hand.

Mingyu was excited, and he was basically bouncing as he waited for the valet to come around the car so Mingyu could give him the keys. Once given, Mingyu grabbed Wonwoo's hand and was trying to run for the doors, but Wonwoo held him back, laughing at the taller boy who was prancing on the spot because he was being anchored.

Wonwoo let in a minute later, allowing himself to be dragged next to Mingyu's suitcase.

Inside the lobby, the two of them looked around in wonder, admiring the modern decor and the large windows that showed out to the sea. Everything was crisp and clean, with cutting edges.

Mingyu could hardly wait to see the rooms, and so left Wonwoo with their things so he could get them one. It only took him a couple of minutes and he came back with two room keys in his hands.

They went up immediately, the elevator taking them to the 25th floor where they found their room a couple of doors down. It was bigger than the two of them expected, and an entire wall was windows pointing towards the moving ocean.

Wonwoo didn't spend the time to enjoy the room, instead letting Mingyu do it for the both of them.

Mingyu fooled around for a while, checking out every gadget and checking every available cabinet. He revelled in the fresh sheets of the bed and couldn't stop talking about the quality of the room.

Once Mingyu had his fill of sampling everything the hotel room had to offer, they gathered their things together to prepare for a day downtown. They put their bags in a corner and left immediately for the city. The streets were busy, bustling with people dressed in multiple layers to fight off the biting wind.

They first went to eat, travelling from restaurant to restaurant in an attempt to find something worthwhile.

Mingyu and Wonwoo found themselves standing parallel to the exit of a noodle restaurant an hour later, facing towards the occupied streets of the city. They had eaten their fill and were now in search of something that only Busan would have.

Stomachs full, they went on to traipse the streets in search of a novelty store that might still be open. Most places were closing; locked, chained, emptying out. Only the occasional restaurant would be bustling with people, and the amount of drunkards they ran into was unusually high because of the food tents smattered around the streets.

Just as they were about to give up, Mingyu's eye caught a lit up gift shop on the corner of the street and they immediately changed directions, going straight for the lone store.

They just wanted something as a reminder of the city, just as they had done for the other places they had gone to previously. All they needed was one charm, stone, wind chime, or anything really.

The door swung open with the welcoming jingle of chimes above their heads. Sitting at the front was an equally as welcoming lady, smiling sweetly at them as they browsed for the perfect trinket.

They had to look around for a while, shuffling past the generic key chains and not-so-enrapturing postcards. They pointed at bobble heads as jokes and read inspirational quotes from old wall mounts.

The two finally decided on a wind chime made solely out of string and seashells. It was small but brilliant, decorated with conch shells and clam shells alike. The colours were arranged so that the shells that were tinted red eventually faded into shells of pure white, a pretty pink sitting between the two; a gradient of seashells.

They bought it without hesitation, watching as the store clerk packaged it away into a decorated gift box, taking it soon after to bring it back to the hotel.

On their way, they stopped at Gukje market, enjoying the sounds of Busan's dialect. It took them a while to find their way back, having gotten lost ever since they decided to wander the market. 

Finally, they got back to their hotel, illuminated now that the sun had begun to set. They refused to be sidetracked as they returned to their room, hands full.

They put their bags in a corner and sat on the bed together for a long while, just staring out at the ocean as they talked.

"You're an idiot for taking us out here when it's winter."

"I know, but I really wanted to show you the ocean and I didn't have the chance to before." Mingyu leaned over so his head rested on Wonwoo's shoulder and grinned. "At least it still looks nice."

"But it makes me want to swim." Wonwoo poked the edges of Mingyu's smile. "The only problem is, I don't want to die of hypothermia."

Wonwoo watched as Mingyu's eyebrows knit together as he thought, and the older moved his hand to poke them in turn.

"Let's go swimming," Mingyu said finally, sitting up straight.

"What?"

"Right now."

The taller jumped to his feet and grabbed their bags so he could go ruffling through them.

"I didn't bring swim shorts, so I don't know how you're going to work that one out," Wonwoo commented from where he still sat.

Mingyu didn't listen and continued to throw things around inside his suitcase.

"Unless you're going to do a magical act right here and pull my swimsuit out of a hat, I don't know why you're still going through your things."

He continued to shuffle things around, and to Wonwoo's surprise, Mingyu took out a beanie that looked stuffed, pulling from it his swim shorts.

"Abracadabra." The smile on his face was bigger than it had been before.

There was silence for a second as Wonwoo's eyes went back and forth from his swimsuit to Mingyu's face.

"What the hell, Mingyu."

"I brought it just in case."

Wonwoo raised his eyebrow at the beanie. "And just happened to have it shoved inside a hat?"

"Actually, what you said gave me an idea so I put it in there while my hands were still in the suitcase. I thought it would have been funny."

"You think everything's funny, Mingyu," Wonwoo said as he placed his feet on the carpeted ground to then stand up. He reached down to grab his shorts from Mingyu and looked at them for a second before giving his attention back to the man sitting on the ground. "Ether way, it's the middle of winter and the ocean looks like it's nearly frozen over. How do you expect we swim in those conditions?"

"Who said anything about the ocean?"

Half an hour later, Wonwoo and Mingyu stood before the indoor pool of the hotel, swimsuits on and towels in hand. It was tiny, about as large as the bedroom of their hotel room, so covering about 12 meters squared of the space.

"They probably didn't put too much effort because the ocean's right over there," Mingyu commented silently as they stared at the desolate pool. His voice echoed in the small space, and it just added to the pathetic feeling they both felt coming from the square of water.

"It's basically a puddle," Wonwoo muttered in return.

"A puddle you can swim in, though."

Mingyu peered over the edge they stood on, noting the colourful tiles decorating the bottom. He panned upwards, looking towards the walls of the pool to see if there was any indication as to how deep it really was. On the sides,were the characters: 2.5 M.

Mingyu backed away, looking over to Wonwoo who stared curiously after the taller.

"So? How deep is it?"

Mingyu shrugged with fake innocence. "No clue."

"For real? It doesn't say?"

Wonwoo stepped forward to confirm, his toes on the wet edges of the pool. Water lapped at his feet, eventually returning to the pool in small waves and leaving his feet shining under the bright round lights hanging above.

Mingyu began splashing his own feet noisily, attracting Wonwoo's attention back to him. He gave a laugh for seemingly no reason before he pushed Wonwoo into the pool singlehandedly.

The shorter tottered on his feet for a split second, but in Mingyu's eyes, his back arching, his feet leaving the ground and his arms waving wildly to regain his balance all seemed to move in slow-motion.

A terse shout resounded in the square space followed by a nearly deafening splash as the water swallowed Wonwoo whole. Mingyu threw back his head in laughter, already replaying the sight in his mind.

When he brought his eyes back to water, he was just in time to see Wonwoo's head break through the surface. His black hair was matted against his forehead, going far enough to just cover his eyes, and leaving droplets of water to trickle down his face.

Wonwoo took in a huge breath as he swiped his hand upwards on his face, sweeping his hair back at the same time. It stuck in that position, looking sleek and, somehow, professional. His facial expression, meanwhile, was unreadable.

"How deep is it, Wonwoo?" Mingyu asked in between his laughter. The words came out shakily, being affected by the way his body quivered in different directions.

"Deep enough."

"For what?"

When Wonwoo didn't reply, Mingyu calmed his laughing and turned all of his attention to the pool. He noticed for the first time how close Wonwoo had come back to the edge.

"To not worry if I'll hurt you."

"Wha-"

Mingyu was cut off as Wonwoo suddenly jumped out of the water, his body flying up the shortest distance, but just enough for him to be able to reach Mingyu's hands.

Wonwoo wrapped his fingers around Mingyu's wrists and pulled him down as hard as he could. Mingyu let out a rather unseemly high-pitched squeak while his body lurched forward, and his feet slipped off the edge.

He crashed into Wonwoo, and the two of them were engulfed by the chlorinated water.

Mingyu could hear bubbles and moving water, while he could feel Wonwoo's arms around him and nothing else. It was warm inside of his embrace, that's all he knew he felt.

Mingyu didn't even have to move before his head was out of the water and he found himself gulping down air.

Wonwoo let go while laughing, swimming away to the opposite side of the pool, a mere four feet away.

"You're such a fox!" Mingyu shouted into the air, wiping away the water from his eyes. He opened them, immediately searching to find the one who was laughing boisterously.

"You pushed me first, you weasel!"

Wonwoo was swimming in circles, having nowhere else to go but the corner that Mingyu wasn't in. It could hardly even be considered swimming, due to lack of movement and the little space he was covering with each paddle. To Mingyu, Wonwoo looked like a big fish trying to make the most of his small, round fishbowl.

"It doesn't matter who did what first, Wonwoo, it's who's the last one to do it."

Mingyu paddled over, and while Wonwoo tried to escape, there really was no way to slip past each other without having them having to touch.

Mingyu wasn't sure what he was going for, but he knew he wanted to get back at Wonwoo somehow. The only thing he could think of was to jump on him, and shove his head underneath the waving water. So that's exactly what he did, and really hard, too.

Wonwoo didn't go down without a fight, though.

Wonwoo rose his hands above the two of them, shoving Mingyu down equally as hard as he had been before.

Mingyu couldn't see anything, afraid to open his eyes in the fear that the chlorine would sting too much. The only thing he could do was hold on, and kick.

They began actually kicking each other, and at some point, what had begun as a little game of revenge became an all-out wrestle under water. Mingyu's arm was wrapped around Wonwoo's shoulders, and Wonwoo's arms were around Mingyu's torso. They spun in torpedoes around the pool, different heads popping out of the water at different times. In between splashes of water, laughter, coughing, swearing, and two names could be heard over and over again.

The wrestle went on for what seemed like ages and finally, Wonwoo broke free of Mingyu's grasp, swimming over to the edge so he could pull himself out of the chaotic water. He positioned himself so he sat on the edge, legs still dipped in the water. His body was heaving up and down, a result of his heavy panting.

He shook his head, his hair fanning out and sending drops of water in every direction.

Mingyu imitated him from his spot in the pool, and afterward swam over so he floated in front of Wonwoo's knees. He folded his arms over them and rested his head on the pedestal he had made with their limbs. Mingyu tilted his head up and stared at Wonwoo through his eyelashes, while Wonwoo tilted his head down and looked at Mingyu with a sweet smile.

"This was a good idea," Wonwoo commented, his eyes following a water drop that traced the outline of Mingyu's nose. It trickled past his lips and fell soundlessly back into the pool.

"I know."

"We should go swimming in the ocean next time, though."

Mingyu gave a small chuckle, shaking both his floating body and Wonwoo's dangling legs.

"In the summer."

Wonwoo watched as another drop of water came free from Mingyu's hair, following the same path he had set his eyes on before. Wonwoo leaned in, watching as it trailed past his forehead and down around his nose. He stopped it at Mingyu's lips with a kiss, pulling back with a satisfied smile.

"Promise?"

Mingyu didn't really reply, but the way the edges of his eyes went up, and the way he smiled with all of his teeth indicated that yes, he promised.

Wonwoo pressed his forehead against Mingyu's, eyes threatening to cross because of their proximity.

"We should have an underwater kiss," Wonwoo muttered after a while, and Mingyu laughed, detaching himself from the cocoon of warmth they had created.

"You're such a cliché," Mingyu chortled. He grabbed Wonwoo's hands nevertheless, pulling him back underneath the moving water. They sunk together until they sat at the bottom of the shallow pool, lips pressed against each other's in the most cliché kiss of both of their lifetimes. 

\---

 

An hour later, they found themselves back in their room, bodies still dripping wet, towels hanging off of their shoulders. The two had left the pool begrudgingly, having been forced out by an employee who informed them that the pool closed at ten. They had been floating aimlessly in the water, flicking each other from time to time until it became another water fight.

Mingyu was especially upset when he didn't even have the chance to sneak in one more kiss before they left.

Now they were staring at each other, wondering what they should do now that the day had ended and time had flown past them unknowingly. They agreed on a movie and food that would be called up to their room once they were ready.

They took turns taking a shower, Mingyu going in first. Wonwoo had insisted because he took a while to bathe and he didn't want Mingyu waiting while he was still soaking.

Mingyu showered quickly, an image of Wonwoo sitting outside in the cold bothering him to hurry up. He went as fast as he could, wrapping a bath robe around him before he went back to the room.

When Mingyu came out, Wonwoo was holding the wind chime up to the dimmed lights, not even noticing that Mingyu had finished. He stood staring mesmerized at the sight of him, his mind tricking him into thinking that Wonwoo was actually glowing against his backdrop.

As surreptitiously as possible, the taller reached for his phone and took photos of his gown-clad boyfriend, the view of the ocean glowing behind him. Each photo was taken as the camera came into focus, the blurred outlines of Wonwoo sharpening into the figure that Mingyu knew so deeply.

Mingyu took steps closer, snapping pictures with each step. When he was five steps away, Wonwoo noticed the sneaking photographer and gave him a smile. Mingyu took a picture right then and watched as that moment froze for him, being put away into his phone for him to go back to whenever he needed. Mingyu continued taking pictures as he inched closer, Wonwoo's giddy expression becoming one of confusion. They were separated only by Mingyu's phone now, the screen showing nothing but a dark close-up of Wonwoo's skin.

He lowered it, his eyes flitting from Wonwoo's lips to his eyes, taking in his entire face before he leaned in to kiss him. It started sweet and slow, but then started to grow more intense as tongues pushed against lips and teeth grazed against skin.

Soon, Mingyu's hands were ghosting under the fabric of Wonwoo's gown, pushing it away, untying it, abandoning it on the floor. He couldn't see it, but he felt the same happening to his own, and the robes were now both tangled in a pile on the floor, crisp white against the contrasting carpet. The two hardly paused to breathe, only stopping to admire each other before they sunk onto the sheets, hands exploring and lips travelling to every high and low.

Mingyu's mind wasn't registering what he was doing or what was happening, but he didn't need to. His body moved on its own, doing what he wanted and needed, while Wonwoo did the rest for him.

Mingyu breathed in everything Wonwoo was, and Wonwoo breathed out everything Mingyu gave him in passionate words and his whispered name.

In no time at all there was no space left between them for anything else in the world, and the only thing that existed was their touches. 

\--

Mingyu woke to sunlight in his eyes and a body that still smelled like chlorine. He was more content and warm than he had ever been in his life and he gladly let a smile trace his lips as he pressed a kiss into Wonwoo's dark, tangled hair. Wonwoo stirred against his side before he turned, eyelids fluttering open to meet Mingyu's. The light filtering in from the window kissed at the edges of his body, making him even more beautiful than he had been before.

"Good morning," They both whispered to each other, letting the words float away into what was, indeed, a very good morning.


	5. Never Wanted

Christmas was spent at Mingyu's place as soon as they came back, and they celebrated it simply. They strung lights over his sturdier plants rather than a Christmas tree, and it ended up being a quiet night with no need for an exchange of gifts. They played old and new Christmas music throughout the late hours that they stayed up and enjoyed the other's company before inevitably taking each other to bed.

Wonwoo woke to a blue-wrapped present at the end of the bed and a smile that came from someone who had been waiting an hour for him to wake up. It turned out to be matching scarves for the two of them, and Mingyu made Wonwoo promise to wear it whenever he left the house.

New Year's was a lot more lively than their last laid-back holiday, the two of them leaving to attend a party that Jisoo was hosting with blue scarves wrapped around each of their necks. All eleven of their friends showed, and it surprised Mingyu that even Jihoon attended.

It was just about everything anyone could expect from a doctor hosting a party. It was organized and posh and a little over the top.

Seungcheol's two children acted as the night's entertainment while Seokmin and Soonyoung tried their hardest to get in on the infants' fun. The other's opted to either watch or to make conversation among themselves and although everything was relatively calm, it was never, not even for a second, silent.

The countdown towards midnight was focused on Mingyu and Wonwoo having their New Year's kiss, seeing as they were the only couple that actually attended. The attention made Wonwoo uncomfortable, but for Mingyu, he was delighted to be the center of events.

That is, until, Soonyoung planted one on his best friend and went running.

Most of them forgot about the numbers changing and leaving the year behind them, instead enjoying Seokmin make a sock puppet out of Soonyoung. Most of them, save Mingyu who was too busy making a wish for the New Year. Wonwoo's old wish rang in Mingyu's mind and he ended up altering it a little to fit everything he wanted for the future of the people who he cherished so much.

I wish we can all have a happy ending, together.

He gave a kiss to Wonwoo to seal the wish, and the latter kissed him back without even knowing what it was for. 

 

 

They went into the New Year with subtle changes and talks of the future.

Mingyu wanted a bigger place with more windows so that he could fit more plants and an actual closet for Wonwoo. Both of their things were starting to overfill and he didn't know how long he could keep cleaning it before it finally all fell apart. He also mentioned a bigger bed, more food, more toothpaste, more towels, more everything because his way of living had so far been for one, and he wanted to adjust it to a life of two.

Meanwhile, Wonwoo wanted his own laptop so he could stop leeching off of Mingyu's, and his own blanket because Mingyu had a tendency to roll himself up in it, leaving none of the fabric for Wonwoo.

Mingyu promised a new blanket, and he delivered.

Wonwoo had to get his own laptop because he refused to have Mingyu give him something else when he hadn't even given him a Christmas present. So he went out and got himself something small and cheap that Mingyu ultimately teased him about.

Mingyu got into the habit of sticking a sticker on it whenever he had one on hand in order to scold Wonwoo for always leaving it in the worst spots. It somehow flew around the apartment and ended up on the floors, behind doors, and under pillows. The stickers weren't anything special, just price stickers or clearance stickers that Mingyu got from items closest to him. Wonwoo never bothered to take them off.

Sometimes when Mingyu came back from work, he would sit and watch Wonwoo do his work if he wasn't busy with his own paperwork, and he would read the stickers absentmindedly until Wonwoo told him to shut up.

He hardly ever got to see the work on Wonwoo's laptop, but from time to time Wonwoo would ask for help with coming up with new ideas and Mingyu would feed him random words or scenarios until he was back on his way.

When they weren't occupied with work they were out on dates or together in bed, the occasional outing apart happening from time to time. Time alone helped them get closer -- if that was even possible.

Mingyu forgot what life was like without Wonwoo, and it seemed as if they had been together all along. From first words, first friends, first loves and first heartbreaks, he believed everything lead him to the moment where he first laid eyes on the mysterious man in the garden.

Life without Wonwoo just didn't seem right anymore.

Wonwoo was always present in the next room, and the house felt empty without the sound of his tapping keys or occasional humming. Wonwoo's socks were always getting tangled in Mingyu's feet as he brushed by them, and his laptop was always somewhere in sight. Mingyu got uneasy whenever he was sleeping alone, now and the sound of Wonwoo's snoring was just another part of his nights. The pictures they took piled up, the plants they collected gathered in bunches, the clothes that they shared overfilled, and the memories kept growing and growing.

Despite Mingyu living every day in bliss, there was always a part of him that still feared something that might come.

Wonwoo still fell sick often, and he still couldn't handle food that well. The younger always tried to assure Mingyu that everyone got sick and there really shouldn't be a reason for him to worry. Wonwoo would tell him he was awfully negative for someone who was supposed to help others get passed their own problems, but he couldn't help it. Something in him was always alert, sure that something was going to break apart the only life he would ever want to live.

And then the waves of anxiety would wash over and they would be back to mornings that smelled like coffee and homemade breakfast, someone singing, someone watering the plants, a new sticker on the small laptop, and the sun would be shining to assure them that they were just fine.

Before Mingyu knew it, the months passed by and they were already half way through the year that he swore had just begun.

They celebrated Mingyu's birthday on the 6th of April, something small and simple where Wonwoo had promised him a gift he had yet to finish. They celebrated Easter on the 16th of April, where they went easter egg hunting with Seungkwan and Hansol because Seungcheol was held up with a meeting. They celebrated their meeting (which Mingyu had to remind Wonwoo of) on the 1st of May where they sat on their rock to reminisce and watch the sunset. They celebrated mother's day on the 14th of May where they were apart at their own parents' places and came back with stories to share. They went to Hoshi's birthday party on the 15th of June where Seokmin announced that they were dating. On the 26th of July, Mingyu insisted they celebrate because it was the day he realized he was madly in love with someone he shouldn't have been.

So, being the cliché couple that they were, Mingyu prepared a candlelit dinner that he hadn't had the chance to have on the anniversary of their meeting, and Wonwoo pretended he didn't notice that Mingyu had actually planned something. 

Mingyu had basically begged the landowner for the roof that night, and he set up in secret while Wonwoo worked on the newest novel he had to edit.

It was an effort to transfer his fold up table and chairs from his balcony to his roof without Wonwoo noticing. While his boyfriend typed madly in the side-room, he moved as quietly as possible through doors he kept open with potted plants. He then had to move all three courses upstairs via rolling tray along with candles and a tablecloth.

When the sun was low on the horizon, Mingyu had finished arranging everything and ran back down all of the flights of stairs instead of the elevator because he was feeling dramatic. He passed by one of his long-time neighbours and waved excitedly at them before he disappeared into his apartment.

Mingyu walked in front of Wonwoo and snapped his laptop shut quite rudely. The younger was clearly shocked initially, but in moments he just looked pissed.

"Mingyu," He said with a low voice, but the older wasn't intimidated, he was still smiling. "If I lost everything, I swear to-"

Mingyu grabbed Wonwoo's hands before he could finish and pulled him up. "We all know your laptop automatically saves, stop fussing so much."

"But Mingyu, you never know, some things mess up and I-"

Mingyu cut him off for a second time as he put up a finger to shush him. "Wonwoo, I'm sure it's fine. Give me some of your time today, please."

Wonwoo sighed, but it was short-lived.

His lips twitched into a smile. "Fine. You didn't prepare anything too big, right?"

Mingyu swore that it wasn't too fancy and after Wonwoo had gotten his shoes and a jacket, they got out to get on the elevator. When Wonwoo was too busy asking what floor they needed, Mingyu wrapped a ribbon around his eyes and chuckled when Wonwoo jumped in surprise. At first, he had attempted to take it off, but Mingyu kept it in place and he gave in.

He pressed the button for the highest floor.

When the elevator stopped at their floor, a little ding resounded in the metal space and Mingyu led Wonwoo out carefully. There was one final flight of stairs to climb before they could get to the door that he had left open.

Mingyu had to lead Wonwoo up the stairs, one step at a time so that there wouldn't be a risk of him falling over.

When they finally managed to reach the door without any mishaps, Mingyu positioned Wonwoo so he was facing the setup that had taken him over an hour to prepare. A gust of wind brushed by them into the building as Mingyu undid the knot at the back of Wonwoo's head. The ribbon fell soundlessly, revealing a scene that left Wonwoo speechless.

Before the retreating sun, with its tendrils in hues of pink, sat a clothed table set up for two. There were two tall, thin candles that sat as the centrepiece and other smaller ones scattered across the floor of the roof.

Flowers were covering everything that the eyes could lay on, from the table to the seats, to the rolling tray of food. Some were potted, but most of it were petals. Begonia petals ripped from the stem to be spread and blown away by the wind.

Mingyu waited for a response, but when he got nothing, he tilted his head to try and see what Wonwoo was thinking.

All of a sudden, the older let out a laugh as he shook his head, taking Mingyu by surprise.

"I love it, Mingyu," Wonwoo said in between bouts of laughter, and Mingyu found what he said hard to believe.

"Did I just screw up really badly? Why are you laughing?"

He tried to think of something he could have possibly done wrong but came up blank.

Wonwoo's laughter died down, and now only a broad smile showed his mirth as he locked eyes with Mingyu.

"It's so cheesy. This is the most cheesy thing I've ever had the chance of experiencing in real life." He slid his eyes over to the table again and took steps towards it, making sure to not kick over any of the cinnamon-scented candles littering the floor. "It's just-" He stopped at the table and felt the tablecloth between his fingers. "It's so sweet, it's kind of funny, you know?"

Mingyu thought about it for a second.

"Sort of?"

Wonwoo let out another chuckle and Mingyu decided not to think too hard about it. He let his features fall into an easy smile and gestured for Wonwoo to sit.

On his way to him, Mingyu wheeled the cart a little closer to the table and revealed the courses that he had prepared for them. There was no seafood and plenty of Wonwoo's homemade favourites. Mingyu had wondered briefly if he should have ordered friend chicken or black bean noodles, seeing as it was their favourite food. In the end, he decided not to. Those options were basically junk food. He wanted something fancy, something that he could plate and brag about.

Mingyu brought out the dishes one-by-one, going by course as they ate. He wanted comments on how it tasted, but Wonwoo refused to tell him until they were all done. Mingyu sat impatiently as he ate up his own portions and could only think that it couldn't have been that bad if Wonwoo managed to finish plate after plate. Somewhere in the back of his mind, though, something kept trying to tell him it was secretly awful. 

Wonwoo laughed at Mingyu's constant worrying and covered it up with talks of the novel he was editing and how the couple reminded him eerily of Seokmin and Soonyoung. 

"Both of them are crazily driven to do whatever the hell they want and they both have unique senses of humour." 

Mingyu had to agree that it fit them to a T. The couple never minded what anyone else had to say as long as there was peace in the world and they could pull their stupid pranks without being disturbed. Despite them being nearly crazy, the two had hearts of gold that would never leave behind anyone needing a helping hand. 

Mingyu only had one thing to say about them: "They were made for each other."

"And what about us?" Wonwoo asked, only a second after Mingyu had made the comment. 

"Us?" Mingyu had to pause to think. He couldn't really think of any one thing he had to say about his relationship with Wonwoo. If he started he could continue on until the day where they would be grey and withered. "There's nothing that can say enough about us," Mingyu made up on the spot to cover up the minutes it was taking him to think, but it came out better than he thought. 

Wonwoo smiled to himself as he turned back to his dessert plate. Mingyu loved the way he looked down and smiled as if he were still hiding his emotions. It made it seem like he had fallen in love just the day before -- and maybe that was the truth. Mingyu felt like he could fall in love all over again every day if it was with Wonwoo. 

Finally, Wonwoo ate the last bite of shortcake and Mingyu had completely forgotten about getting critiqued by the former. 

"It was delicious," Wonwoo said as he set down his fork. He smiled leisurely across the table and sat back satisfied. 

Mingyu sat on the edge of his seat, waiting for something else, but when nothing came he leaned forward. 

"Wait, that's it?"

Wonwoo nodded. 

"Why? Why is that it?" Mingyu questioned, frustration settling in. After Wonwoo had taken his time and let Mingyu sit in suspense, he only had one thing to say?

Wonwoo laughed and leaned onto the table, bringing himself closer to Mingyu. 

"I'm not a food critic and if you wanted my opinion from the very beginning I would have just told you over and over again that it's delicious," Wonwoo said, watching in amusement as Mingyu fidgeted with his plate. "Because it was delicious, one of the best meals I've ever had." 

Mingyu spun his plate subconsciously and raised an eyebrow at Wonwoo. "You're telling the truth, right?" 

"Obviously, what would I gain if I lied?" 

Mingyu smiled. "A happy Mingyu, because that's exactly how I'm feeling right now." 

Wonwoo leaned over and gave Mingyu a kiss, smiling through the whole thing. "That would actually be totally worth lying," he confessed as he pulled away just an inch. "but I'm being geniune." 

After a few more questions from Mingyu on more details about what Wonwoo thought, they cleaned up the table and placed everything back into the cart. The setting sun had long since disappeared under the horizon and the city was glowing from bulbs of light floating among the darkness. 

Wonwoo and Mingyu still sat between dwindling candles, hands laced in the middle of the clothed table. 

Their features were highlighted by the centerpiece and Mingyu couldn't help but reach out to trace his fingers along Wonwoo's skin where the shadows met with the light. 

Wonwoo smiled at Mingyu's actions, tilting his head into his fingers. He closed his eyes, relishing in the patterns that swirled across his cheek. 

"Hey Mingyu," Wonwoo spoke, out of nowhere. "What did I do to become lucky enough to have met you?" 

Mingyu's hand paused for a millisecond before he opened his palm to hold Wonwoo's face. 

"Especially when I thought I was about to reach the end," Wonwoo continued, a light laugh breaking through his lips as his eyes fluttered open. "How did I become so lucky?" 

Mingyu's lips curved into a soft smile, accentuated by the orange light of the flame. 

"Because you're you," Mingyu brushed a strand of Wonwoo's hair aside so their eyes could be connected, undisturbed. "You have me because I'm in love with you and honestly you deserve so much more than just me." 

Wonwoo shook his head in disbelief. "Just you?" Wonwoo blew air into Mingyu's face for some reason completely unknown to the latter before he continued. "Shut up, Kim Mingyu. You're the best thing that's ever happened to this world and if anyone else says otherwise they're probably jealous." Wonwoo was looking at their hands now, his fingers playing with Mingyu's nails. He seemed a little too embarrassed to make eye contact. "Who else would actually be kind-hearted enough to spend time with a desperate stranger just because they asked?" Wonwoo's cheeks were tinted a light pink. "Well-Maybe an idiot but you're both an idiot and a warm person." 

Mingyu brought his hand back to feel his face because he was pretty sure he was actually blushing. 

Wonwoo looked up, missing the contact when he saw Mingyu's wide eyes and coloured face. 

"Actually-" Wonwoo started before Mingyu cut him off. 

"Thank you Wonwoo, really, but like I said before, it's not because of me or because of some strange force in the universe but I spent time with you because you're worth it. If I'm the best thing to happen to this world, you're the best thing to happen to the best thing," Mingyu laughed a little at himself. "That makes you a whole lot better than me." 

Wonwoo opened his mouth before popping it back closed. 

"But don't you..." Wonwoo trailed, unsure if he should speak his mind. He took a breath before he spoke again. "Don't you ever regret being with me?" 

"No!" Mingyu shot back immediately. "No, of course of not," he continued more calmly. "After everything I just said, how could you even think I regret being with you?" 

Wonwoo rocked awkwardly in his chair, his eyes directed to the sky above them. 

"Well, I'm a weak person, do you think, maybe, that one day you'll tire of taking care of me?" 

Mingyu shook his head resolutely. "No. At this point, you're the one keeping me sane so who's taking care of who?" Mingyu smiled when Wonwoo brought his attention back to him. "We've got to look after each other so let's not abandon each other, okay?" 

Wonwoo smiled down at their hands again, nodding his head soundlessly. 

"Hey, you have to promise me because I don't think I can live without you keeping my head on straight," Mingyu urged, placing his head on the table so he was in Wonwoo's line of sight. His cheek was squished against the table cloth and his eyes glittered in the light. He looked like child amazement was captured into a person. 

"What's up with you and the cliché lines today?" Wonwoo asked with a laugh, enjoying the sight of Mingyu being Mingyu. 

The younger gave him a bright smile from the table. "I'm trying to be super sweet today so that you'll give me that gift you promised me." 

Wonwoo cocked his head to the side, raising an accusing eyebrow. "Oh, so that's what this is all about?" He poked at the cheek that was raised to the sky. "Well, it's taking me longer than I thought anyway, so I can't give it to you yet." Wonwoo added as an afterthought: "And here I thought you were actually being genuine."

Mingyu laughed, sitting straight again, placing a quick kiss on Wonwoo's lips as he came up. "You know I love you, though." 

Wonwoo hummed, letting a smile take over his face. "I love you too." 

As the candles burned out and their words were taken away by relentless fatigue, Wonwoo and Mingyu stayed on the rooftop until they were barely awake enough to put everything away. 

When they crashed onto their bed that night, they slept tangled together and forgot all about the work that awaited them the next day. 

They also forgot that Wonwoo had never promised. 

 

 

 

 

September 18th, Wonwoo relapsed.

It came slowly, like small steps leading to something a lot bigger. Wonwoo had first told Mingyu that he thought he had cramps, but it went away and came back in small successions. Then he couldn't hold his food down anymore, just like he used to, and on the night of the eighteenth, he said he felt like everything was burning.

Mingyu had rushed him to the hospital, driving faster than he ever had in his life, while Wonwoo sat silently moaning next to him in the car.

The hospital took him away from Mingyu, somewhere he couldn't follow and he was left to wait.

Mingyu thought back to the appointments they had in the past with Wonwoo's treatment team and how they had both thought he was better. They visited the hospital less often, and the little pains became less of a concern. More than a year had passed without problems, and Mingyu couldn't help but feel that this was some sort of punishment for letting his guard down.

His mind kept attacking him with thoughts that this was somehow his fault and he knew he had to stop, he really wanted to but not being able to do anything wasn't helping. Mingyu was just sitting and waiting, nothing to do, nothing to say, nothing he could do would help.

Maybe it was something he cooked, maybe it was that cold Wonwoo got because Mingyu locked him out on the balcony as a joke, maybe it was because Mingyu let Wonwoo work too hard, maybe it was all his fault.

He wanted to cry. He also knew that wouldn't help, so he blinked them back, holding in a breath in an attempt to hold back his tears. He had to do something if he wanted to stop his mind from abusing his mentality anymore.

Mingyu took out his phone from his pocket with difficulty, and just the small resistance from it nearly pulled tears from his eyes. He refused to allow himself to cry because his phone wouldn't come out.

When he turned it on, the time shone back at him. He had been there for only a couple of minutes and it already felt like an eternity. He shook his head to shake himself out of the depressed state he was in. He wanted to call Wonwoo's family, they had to know and he couldn't do that if he was choked up by his own emotions.

With slow fingers, Mingyu unlocked his phone and tapped in the number for Wonwoo's family that he had memorized.

He wasn't sure if they would be awake. It was hardly ten, so there was a chance they'd still be up.

He wasn't sure if he actually wanted them to pick up or not because he didn't know if he would be able to handle Wonwoo's sweet mother crying, or his father attempting to be strong. Mingyu was already having a hard enough time holding himself up, and if all three of them began asking him questions, he didn't know what he would do.

Mingyu's call didn't go through and he was left listening to a pre-recorded voicemail machine that was recored by the family of four. He picked out Wonwoo's voice easily and his vision swam at the happy lilt in the familiar voice.

Mingyu wondered if he would ever hear it again.

The thought pushed him off the edge and he began crying. It wasn't a loud cry of sadness, or a racking sobbing but silent tears that went unnoticed by the others in the same room. In his sorrow, he was still too aware of the happiness of those around him.

He let himself be sad alone, and let the misery swallow him up as he curled into his chair in the corner. He felt as if he was physically sinking into something dark, where nothing of himself would be left. Mingyu tried to stop the feeling, coming up with images of his favourite things. Flowers, the four seasons, his patients, polaroid pictures or carnivals but every image kept trailing back to Wonwoo.

He realized he couldn't do it alone, and before he knew it, he was pressing his phone up to his face calling the only person he could think of that would be close enough to help him.

It rang twice before he listened to the click of the phone and bright voice fly through the small speaker.

Seokmin sounded as excited as ever and his little "Hey, Mingyu!" was brighter than Mingyu remembered it.

He regretted calling him. What if Seokmin was having a good time and he just ruined something?

Mingyu didn't know what to say for a while and let the line hang in silence. After a second, Seokmin asked if he was still there.

Mingyu took a breath and spoke in the happiest voice he could manage. "What's up, Seokmin?"

"I'm in the garden at the hospital, another late night for me." He chuckled and Mingyu heard something drop on the other end. "You need something, Mingyu? I'd be glad to help." Seokmin asked, the sound of his voice faltering behind the wind.

Mingyu pretended to hum as if he were thinking, but at the moment, he would rather Seokmin just blather on as he always did so Mingyu wouldn't have to ruin his night, and he wouldn't be left alone with this crisis.

"No, just wanted to chat." He tried to sound casual and attempted to hide the sniff that came from him before he even realized he had done it.

Seokmin laughed. "That's weird, you don't normally chat over the phone. What happened to mister 'I prefer texting'?"

Mingyu heard Seokmin walking and the rustling of what must have been dirt.

"I can change my mind."

Mingyu saw a head of hair roll past him that looked like Wonwoo, and he stood up, alarmed. He took a few steps to follow it, his heart lighting up with hope.

Upon closer inspection, he didn't recognize the person at all.

His heart constricted and he had to walk back to his lonely corner that looked a little darker. He sat back down, his body drooping into the seat dejectedly. He felt more tears trail past his cheeks and he wiped at them as he brought his cellphone back to his ear.

He caught on to the end of Seokmin's sentence.

"-so self-assured."

Mingyu heard a door being opened, and Seokmin shuffling through it.

"Sorry, could you say that again?" He asked.

Seokmin sighed before the line went silent abruptly.

Mingyu wiped at another tear that escaped and listened intently for any sign that he might still be there. There wasn't anything but Seokmin's breathing and the sounds of the hospital until the now-quiet voice cut in.

"Holy hell... Mingyu, are you okay?"

Mingyu heard the voice from both sides and he finally noticed that the door Seokmin had walked through had been the door across from him.

Seokmin looked disfigured behind his tear-stained vision, but Mingyu could still make out the look of surprise on his friend's face.

He wiped at his eyes in vain, knowing that Seokmin had already seen his sorrowful face.

He saw Seokmin hang up and walk over as fast as he could, a garden shovel in his hand. The people around them were all focused on the gardener. He knelt before the chair, dipping his head so he could be level with Mingyu who was folded in on himself.

"Mingyu, what happened? Why didn't you tell me you were here like... this?" Seokmin examined him from head to toe, trying to see if he could find the root of the problem. His concern made Mingyu feel weaker, and as a result, felt the urge to sob out loud, to let everything out to one of his oldest friends.

But he held back, shaking his head as the only response.

"I would have come right away! You're not hurt are you?"

Mingyu shook his head again.

Seokmin sighed in relief and laid down the shovel as he sat in the empty seat next to the corner.

He sat in silence for a while, letting Mingyu regain his composure as his breathing evened out and his vision slowly became clearer. It took Mingyu everything he had just to get himself out of condition he was in before. He stopped himself from his near-sobbing and sat a little straighter. He knew his eyes were bloodshot, and his nose was probably dripping but he tried his best to look somewhat alright.

"... So? Why are you here? Does Wonwoo know you're here?"

Mingyu took a breath before he spoke. "Wonwoo knows."

As if something clicked in his mind, Seokmin's eyes widened and he placed his hands over his mouth in concern. "Is he-Is Wonwoo... Okay?"

Mingyu could only shrug. He didn't have a clue what was happening behind those doors where psychiatrists like him weren't allowed. He had no clue what the symptoms meant even if he had read everything there was to know about stomach cancer after he met Wonwoo. Mingyu genuinely had no idea how to answer.

"He was... He was in a lot of pain, Seokmin. I could tell. It looked awful and I just-" A hitch in his voice cut him off and Mingyu's eyes were spilling tears again. "I was just so useless. I can't do anything, and I know nothing even though I'm a doctor."

"Mingyu, no."

With his gloved, dirt-covered hands, Seokmin pulled Mingyu in for one his awkward hugs.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Mingyu. There's not a lot anyone can do in this situation." Seokmin changed positions so Mingyu was leaning on his shoulder, and Seokmin had a hand patting his head. "You're a doctor that deals with feelings and stuff like that so you should just deal with your feelings for now." Seokmin smoothed back Mingyu's hair, and Mingyu felt oddly like a child in his mother's arms. "So just cry and make sure you know it's not your fault because if I know you, I know you're stupid enough to make even this about you."

Mingyu chuckled, deep and low for a long while before he realized that the laughing was actually his crying. He sobbed into Seokmin's shoulder, letting it slip pass his lips no louder than a whisper.

"Wh-what if this i-is something s-serious?" Mingyu asked Seokmin silently.

"Then it's something serious, and you guys will get over it just fine." Seokmin replied just as silently. "He's going to be fine, Mingyu."

Mingyu was never as grateful for anyone as he was for Seokmin in that moment. Stupid, garden-fearing, joke-making Seokmin was actually comforting him and he couldn't hope for anyone else. Seokmin was simple-minded and the answers he gave Mingyu was exactly what he needed.

"You guys are going to be just fine."

 

 

Mingyu didn't get to see Wonwoo that night, but Seokmin kept promising that they were going to be okay as the night slipped past them.

The morning after, Mingyu got in touch with Wonwoo's parents. They were a panicked mess when they finally registered what the doctor was telling them. The words they spoke were nearly code; stuttered questions, held out sighs and muttered cries. It was hard for him to understand them at all, but he felt responsible enough to decode every word that was whispered through the line.

Mingyu was still coping with everything, but after spending a while with Seokmin he had brightened considerably, making it easier for him to do what he did best. Dealing with people who were lost.

Bohyuk even spoke to him for a short while over the phone, and all Mingyu could hear in his voice was broken accusation. The teen was trying his best to stay composed, but even if they were miles away, the hostility was palpable. They both thought it was somehow Mingyu's fault, and the conversation just further pushed Mingyu into that idea. His sense of responsibility grew to the point where he updated them every ten minutes.

Seokmin tried his best to stay by his side, but when he couldn't, he made sure Jeonghan would check up on him to make sure he wouldn't end up how he was the night before. Jeonghan would hang around him casually, acting as if nothing was wrong. He was different from Seokmin, he didn't dare touch the subject unless Mingyu openly asked him something; he was, after all, on Wonwoo's treatment team. The problem was, Jeonghan wasn't in the room for most of Wonwoo's examination and so could hardly answer any of Mingyu's questions.

Mingyu left in search of Jisoo to ask him about Wonwoo's condition and he was found in his office, scribbling something in his illegible writing onto a piece of paper.

Mingyu didn't even bother to knock, something they had grown accustomed to after they had become friends. He just slid through the door, dropping himself into the chair facing Jisoo's before he began bombarding him with questions.

Jisoo answered as calmly as he could, despite looking as unsettled as Mingyu. He explained whatever he could.

Wonwoo had relapsed, the tumor forming about a month prior to where they were now; maybe even farther back than that. According to their past experiences, cancer reccurence could be more difficult than the first case, and Wonwoo was not an exception. Jisoo told Mingyu the truth then, that this time around, the treatment wouldn't go as smoothly as the ones they performed when they first met. The cancer cells were more aggressive, and Jisoo was still in the process of deciding what treatment would be best.

Mingyu processed all of this as he continued to ask questions, sometimes even repeating ones he had already received answers for. He didn't want to stop, he wanted to make sure he knew and understood everything before he even dared to think about leaving that room.

Somewhere down the line, Jisoo began to look as upset as Mingyu and he nearly snapped. Mingyu had begun asking the 'Why?' questions.

"Why did it have to come back?"

"Why couldn't he just be left alone?"

"Why Wonwoo?"

Jisoo's eyes became tired and he sighed before he half-shouted, "I can't answer those, Mingyu!" He was sad too, Mingyu finally noticed. "Wonwoo's my friend too, you know," Jisoo said quietly. "I want to wonder about those things too, but you and I both know there's no answer to why someone so awfully wonderful has to be hurt this way..." 

Jisoo had to look away, diverting his gaze to the ceiling as he blinked rapidly.

"I'm sorry," Mingyu whispered.

Jisoo sighed and then they sat staring at nothing.

In those minutes, Mingyu didn't really think about anything, just repeating words about what was happening. He wondered if he could make it through the day without seeing Wonwoo. He knew he probably couldn't. Mingyu really wanted to look at him, even if Wonwoo couldn't look back just yet.

Then Jeonghan stepped in, light feet hardly making a sound against the hardwood floors. Wonwoo was cleared for visitors.

He was awake, and he was asking for Mingyu. 

 

\--

 

After that first day, Mingyu was beginning to be okay again. As soon as he heard Wonwoo's voice commenting on how awful he looked, he felt as if Seokmin's words held some truth. They were going to be fine, and he could believe it now.

They went home, Mingyu babying him in every humanly possible way. He was relieved because Wonwoo looked normal. He was talking, he was eating, he was laughing. As long as Wonwoo looked happy, Mingyu was too.

Despite the relief, things weren't easily put back. They were careful about everything.

Where Mingyu would normally be the one to do exciting things, he now held back in fear that something might happen. Without anyone to push Wonwoo out of his comfort zone, he was left to stew in the dark cloud that surrounded the situation they had been put in.

Everything was to be done after consulting the doctors, and no one was to take risks.

They still did the normal things. A new sticker would appear, laughing would fill the pockets of silence, pictures would fill the albums, but they hardly went out on adventures to new places like Mingyu had suggested in the past. Wonwoo was confined to Mingyu's small apartment and his room in the hospital.

Jeonghan, Seokmin and Jisoo were concerned but what could they do when the two of them still seemed happy? The one who normally solved problems for them was Mingyu, but now he was in the eye of the storm and none of them knew how to get through to him. Eventually, most of their friends banded together in attempts to get them to back to the way they were before, but even Jisoo's constant reassurances that they didn't have to be overly careful didn't work.

Mingyu looked like he was treading on thin ice while Wonwoo was looking more and more strained as time went on.

Even Mingyu knew somewhere deep down that he was doing things wrong, but fear held a strong power over his life and he could never get himself out of the comfort that 'playing-it-safe' provided. If something else happened to Wonwoo, he couldn't bear knowing that he had failed to protect him.

On a strangely quiet day, Mingyu finally built up the courage to take them out to a petting zoo in the countryside not too far from Seoul.

It started out with a nice atmosphere. The sky was as blue as ever, speckled and blurred by the plump clouds spread across it. There was a cool breeze-- not too cool but it wasn't stuffy or humid-- and the air was filled with sounds of families laughing and the occasional grunt from an animal.

Wonwoo and Mingyu were already feeling better, seeing the world just as they had left it; happy, bright and moving along as it should.

They saw cows, chickens, llamas and donkeys as soon as they had broken through the crowd at the entrance. Somewhere in the distance, braying could be heard and Mingyu already began raving about sheep. He was reverting back to normal, one animal at a time and Wonwoo's happy mood only helped.

The llamas stood taller than Mingyu, casting a shadow over the both of them. It made strange huffing noises and, true to rumours, spat at them. Wonwoo made a bet to see who the llama would spit at more, him or Mingyu and the latter agreed readily. Wonwoo bet a written short story and Mingyu bet a new bookshelf for their apartment. After dodging lobs of spit and flinching whenever they heard a grunt, Wonwoo lost, the llama being awfully stubborn and spitting in Wonwoo's direction a lot more often than he initially thought it would. Mingyu made him lock pinkies to promise him he'd write the best short story he would ever read.

Animals nudged at their palms for food, their wet noses leaving streaks on Mingyu and Wonwoo's hands. Mingyu laughed at the ones that were especially desperate and, as usual, Wonwoo caught onto his contagious laughing and they were stuck in front of the pigs, laughing harder than they had in weeks because one of the pigs had the audacity to fit half its body through the fence when they were occupied with their laughter. The employees had to get him out themselves, and shooed the still laughing couple away from the exhibit.

Wonwoo met a goat that had a bald spot on his head at the next stop, and he got attached quickly. He named the small animal "Trouble". When Mingyu gave him a quizzical look, he explained that the goat must have been a lot of trouble to care for if the naked spot was caused by stress. Plus, he added, the animal had this killer look in its eyes.

Then someone ran into him. They didn't even bother with an apology, just walking along as if he hadn't basically just football-tackled someone. 

Mingyu couldn't catch him in time and he went stumbling into the fence. The bag of food that they had purchased for the goats spilled into the enclosure and braying goats of all sizes came running for the spilled feed. Meanwhile, Wonwoo was hunched over the fence, a pole digging into the side of his stomach.

Mingyu helped him up, the calm that had built in him crumbling away to be replaced by anger and the unease he had tried so desperately to erase. After ensuring that Wonwoo was okay, Mingyu stood between him and the person who had knocked him over. 

"Excuse me?" Mingyu asked, seeing the way the man was looking at them, clear disgust written over his expression.

The man shrugged. "It was an accident," he said with icy casualness.

Mingyu had to raise his voice over the growing clamor of crazed animals behind him. "You could at least apologize." 

"Well, you guys have been here for half an hour, give other people a chance," The shorter man sniffed, glancing over Mingyu's shoulder at Wonwoo.

"We've been here for ten minutes, and there's plenty of space," Mingyu shot back, shifting so that the man was paying attention to him. "There's was no reason to be rude, you could have just asked," Mingyu said in an attempt to stay civil. He knew better than to start a fight in public.

"If I asked, your stupid friend wouldn't have heard me over his baby talk."

Mingyu wasn't sure if he heard right over the chaotic sounds of goats fighting for food behind him, but what he did manage to register made his anger bubble over.

"If you asked-"

Mingyu was cut off before he continued when workers came to shout at the three of them. He couldn't understand anything over the overlapping sounds of shouting and braying, and he really did not want to take his eyes off of the man but he felt something tugging at his shirt.

Mingyu turned around and found Wonwoo looking paler than he did before, clutching his head and stomach at the same time. Mingyu was overcome by fear then, dipping his head so he could hear what Wonwoo needed.

"Can we just go?"

Mingyu nodded vigorously. "Of course."

He wrapped an arm around Wonwoo's shoulders and maneuvered through the crowd of chaos. He ignored the man's taunts from behind him, his only focus on Wonwoo and how he must be feeling.

They left in silence, Wonwoo falling victim to exhaustion in the car.

Mingyu knew he never wanted that to happen again.

They couldn't go back to normal. 

 

\--

 

It was unintentional, but they became distanced.

They tried to be okay, they tried to just be as they were before, but the lack of things Mingyu was willing to do, and the little that they ended up doing just wasn't enough.

Wonwoo was eventually moved back to the hospital when his health wasn't improving and that only further deepened the ravine that had opened between them. Mingyu stopped by frequently the first couple of weeks, dropping off Wonwoo's laptop, his phone and anything he would need.

Wonwoo became weaker and Mingyu became afraid to see him. He didn't know what he could do and he began hiding from what was actually happening. He only stopped by when someone asked him to, or if he felt it had been too long since they had seen each other. Visiting Wonwoo became a task rather than a voluntary act.

He knew he was being awful because Wonwoo wasn't the type of person to accuse someone, or ask for what he really wanted if he wasn't desperate enough, but Mingyu couldn't bear being by his side when he knew his fear might just make things worse for Wonwoo. He had no idea to help, and his cautious actions hadn't helped in the past two months, so why would they now?

Mingyu lived with the image of the Wonwoo that he used to know, leaving the Wonwoo of the present to sit alone in a bed that they used to talk from.

On good days, Mingyu wouldn't think of him at all until he was alone in the apartment that had Wonwoo written all over it, and even then, he would just lay down and close his eyes until these parts of him disappeared too.

Mingyu made new friends, a beautiful man named Baekhyun, and a tall elf named Chanyeol. They didn't know Wonwoo, and so they didn't remind him of the pain that he was escaping, further erasing the dark eyes and the strangely bright smile that he hadn't wanted to leave.

He turned away visits from Wonwoo's family.

A month passed by.

Mingyu's visits became less frequent, and he even turned down some of the favours others asked him to perform for Wonwoo. His heart hurt a little less whenever Wonwoo was mentioned and he began believing that he could live.

He refused to look at Jeonghan and Seokmin when they passed in the halls because they only ever came to him with sad, begging eyes. Something about Wonwoo would be said and Mingyu would nod absentmindedly as if he were busy and he would move on. He felt guilty because he owed a lot to Seokmin but he kept telling himself that as soon as he felt good enough to see Wonwoo, he would.

His old friends hardly talked to him, only ever coming to him if needed to tell him something about Wonwoo. Even Seungkwan had abandoned him, siding with the older of the two.

He spent his holidays alone. On New Year's, his wish from the preceding year came back to him and he felt his heart breaking all over again. He cried again for the first time in forever, letting out everything that remained of his broken relationship with the one he used to think he would sacrifice everything for. The pictures lying around the house taunted him, the plants looked as if they were wilting, and everything looked as if it had chosen Wonwoo.

Mingyu was completely alone that night, with dreams of a time where the only thing he knew was happiness.


	6. Favourite Quotes

Another month flew by Mingyu and he didn't know what Wonwoo looked like in the present. He debated for a couple of days whether or not he should go see him, and after another guilty encounter with Seokmin, he decided it would be for the best if he at least gave him a greeting.

When Mingyu first stepped in, Wonwoo didn't notice him, too engrossed in a book that sat in his lap.

Mingyu's heart constricted at the sight of him, he looked like he did when Mingyu had first met him. Wonwoo looked serene, eyes holding a sense of mystery behind them and his hair forever tousled on top of his head. He flipped a page, adjusting his glasses in the same way Mingyu had memorized.

He looked good, Mingyu admitted. Maybe he was getting better, he couldn't be sure.

Mingyu cleared his throat to alert Wonwoo that he was there, and the older looked up, glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose.

He did look better than he did before, but something about the way Wonwoo looked at Mingyu made him feel unsettled. Something was missing, this image wasn't right. He had seen this so many times in the first months they had known each other. He would come in, but Wonwoo would have this glint in his eyes that told Mingyu he was saying something. Now, he couldn't find that anywhere.

"Hi," Mingyu said in a casual tone, walking over to sit in the chair next to Wonwoo's bed.

"Hi to you too," Wonwoo replied. Mingyu realized that his voice was different too.

After a second of silence, Wonwoo turned his head back to his book, eyes skimming over words as he flipped a page. Mingyu recalled times when he would sit, just like he was then, and watch as Wonwoo would work. Then, Wonwoo would look up at him, kick him or punch him and tell him to leave him alone before he would smile and go back to work.

Wonwoo didn't look up at him, or kick him or punch him or smile. He just read.

Mingyu looked out the window, seeing the scenery he knew by heart. He pinpointed plants and trees and objects he had never seen before. He found their rock easily, snow piled around the bottom of it, hiding whatever might bloom there in the spring.

Mingyu realized that he had stopped looking out for the garden ever since Wonwoo relapsed, and he didn't even know if things still looked the same. In the snow, he could note no big changes, but he did find that the apple tree had grown larger. Everything else was hidden, blanketed in a thin layer of cold, white dust. A breeze flew by, disturbing the stillness of the scenery and Mingyu felt that he missed the garden.

Maybe he could visit it once the snow melted; maybe he could visit it with Wonwoo if he was feeling good enough. He wasn't sure, at that point, if Wonwoo would even agree to it anymore.

Mingyu thought about Wonwoo, and concluded that the latter seemed to be doing good. Mingyu was afraid of how Wonwoo was holding up ever since Mingyu had basically left him, but the older seemed to be just fine. Mingyu thought that they were both doing pretty good.

He turned back, thinking that he should make polite conversation but stopped short when he saw that Wonwoo's glasses were stained with tears, and the pages of the book were wet. A shiver ran down Mingyu's spine as he took in the scene before him.

Wonwoo looked tragically beautiful and Mingyu started longing for something.

Mingyu reached out for him but pulled his hand back before he could get there. "Hey, Wonwoo, are you okay?"

He was becoming nervous, was he hurt? What was wrong with him, now? He had no clue about his current situation.

Wonwoo nodded silently before he sniffed. "Sad scene... You know me."

Mingyu nodded and sighed in relief. "Oh, good."

If he had actually bothered to look closer, to let himself care, Mingyu might have noticed the telltale signs that Wonwoo was lying. If Mingyu wasn't so afraid he would have realized that Wonwoo was crying about an entirely different story.

Wonwoo swallowed and a small sob escaped his lips as he pushed his fingers behind his glasses to wipe his tears. "Could you... Leave me alone for now?"

His voice was wavering, and it cracked a little. Mingyu wondered what could have happened for him to be crying that much.

"Uh, sure."

He stood, almost a little too fast and made for the door.

Wonwoo muttered something right before Mingyu left, and all he could catch was "... a happy ending."

Mingyu brushed it off, assuming he was probably muttering to himself about the book. He knew Wonwoo, and he knew that Wonwoo did that often.

He also knew that Wonwoo was a fast reader, and he hadn't flipped the page in the ten minutes that he was in there.

He also brushed that off.

 

\--

 

No more than half an hour had passed since Mingyu came back from Wonwoo's room did Seokmin break the silence of his office by slamming the door open, coming in unannounced.

The gardener looked livid, his hands clenched into fists and his footsteps heavy. He stood there for a second looking at Mingyu as if he didn't even know him anymore.

"What did you do, this time, Mingyu?" He asked, his voice quiet but dripping with hostility. Mingyu was taken aback by his tone of voice, having never heard Seokmin so angry.

Mingyu turned away from his computer, pushing his chair away from his desk so he could stand. The sound of the wheels on the hardwood floor scratched in the uncomfortable air. Mingyu could feel that the atmosphere was becoming tense and he stood cautiously, wondering what it was that Seokmin was so worked up about.

"What do you mean, Seokmin?" Mingyu said, trying his best to sound sincere because he knew it was probably about Wonwoo, but he was unsure of what he actually did.

"Mingyu, just stop." Seokmin was closing his eyes, and he pinched the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache. "Why haven't you noticed a fucking thing about what you're doing to Wonwoo when you supposedly know all there is to know about human nature?"

Mingyu was struck speechless. For one thing, it was the first time he had heard Seokmin swear, and for another, what did Seokmin know about what Mingyu was doing?

"Seokmin I-"

"Before you start saying bullshit about not being able to help, or making things worse, listen to me. Pretend I'm your patient or whatever and just listen to what I say, okay?"

Seokmin was staring him down from across the room, his eyes daring Mingyu to talk back. So Mingyu gave a silent nod and waited for Seokmin to tell him what he wanted to say.

"I don't know when you started thinking it was okay to leave Wonwoo alone, because it's not, Mingyu. He's got cancer, and he can die whenever and you decide to let him live with that by himself?" Seokmin shook his head, sighing as he walked closer. "I don't know when you got so stupid. You're always justifying what you do with 'I can't help', 'I'm useless' or 'I'm making things worse', but when have any of these been true? I haven't seen a single time where you didn't help Wonwoo by just being there. I thought you knew better than anyone that dying patients need someone with them." Seokmin scoffed. "Hell, I'm just a gardener and I know this. I know that Wonwoo was happy with you, and I know he looks awful without you. I wish he didn't have to depend on an asshole like you, but he does and I get why. I used to depend on you, too Mingyu." Seokmin's expression softened in the slightest, and Mingyu saw the sincerity in his friend's words. "You've changed quite a bit in the past four months and I can't help but feel it was for the worse. You're not only affecting Wonwoo, you look like you've been touched by death itself."

Mingyu found that statement strange. He hadn't found that he had been affected that much, in fact, he thought he was looking better. He felt better than when he had spent sleepless nights worrying over Wonwoo or when he would spend most of his time thinking about how Wonwoo must've been feeling or when he would drop everything if Wonwoo needed him too. Seokmin was wrong, he wasn't worse, he was definitely better. Mingyu wanted Seokmin to leave if all the gardener was trying to do was pull him back into that state of depression he was in.

"No, Seokmin. I'm doing fine."

"Mingyu!" Seokmin shouted before he realized he had raised his voice. He took a breath and continued more calmly. "If you're going to lie to yourself and say you're just dandy, go ahead but you can't continue subjecting Wonwoo to this abuse. He's been crying ever since you got to his room, Mingyu and he keeps telling me I can't tell you because he's worried he might bother you. Do you see how screwed up that is? He's the one who's in pain and he's worried about you? That selflessness was something that you used to have and now you've completely lost it by screwing with someone who honestly deserves the world."

Mingyu sighed angrily. "Why don't you give him what he deserves then? You obviously care so much about him, so why don't you do something about it? I don't want anything to do with this anymore!"

"But I can't, Mingyu."

"Exactly!" Mingyu shouted, his voice reverberating against the four-walled room. "That is exactly how I feel, so why can't you just accept that I can't do anything and just help Wonwoo yourself? I don't want him to be hurt either but what better will it be if I'm there? I know I'm being an asshole and if I decide to push my negative feelings on him, how will that make him feel? Fucking awful, Seokmin." Mingyu turned away, turning his attention to his window instead. "All I'll do is make Wonwoo blame himself and I'll hurt us both in the process so you should do something for him instead."

"I said I can't because I'm not you."

Mingyu had to hold in a breath.

"I've really tried, but Wonwoo isn't the same around me. He's trying his hardest but he really does need you, Mingyu."

Mingyu breathed out slowly, willing the onslaught of locked away emotions to stop.

"He doesn't need me, he's fine."

Seokmin made frustrated noises that really meant nothing and Mingyu could hear him shuffling around the room.

"I'm done with you, Mingyu. I. Am. So done." Seokmin's voice was angry again and Mingyu heard his footsteps retreat towards the door. There was a pause where nothing happened and the air stilled. Seokmin disturbed it, trying for one last question.

"Mingyu, have you ever thought that you guys need each other?" Seokmin's voice was loud and clear but it sounded unsure. "Because while he's literally dying without you, your heart has withered away to nothing."

Mingyu didn't answer.

Seokmin sighed again.

"Fine. Goodbye, Mingyu. It was a nice talk."

The door opened silently, but slammed shut, shaking the picture frames on the walls.

Seokmin shook Mingyu, but it wasn't enough for him to budge. He only needed one more push and he knew he would've given in.

Mingyu wasn't sure whether or not he was happy that he hadn't changed his mind. 

 

\--

 

When night fell over the busy city of Seoul, Mingyu felt like he was the only one who was still awake. His office was deafly silent and his eyes could barely see through the thick blanket of darkness. He had been working all day, but when everyone had packed up and left, he couldn't get himself to leave his room.

He was disturbed by how quiet things were and for a fleeting moment he wondered if he had somehow died. Surprisingly, he wasn't disturbed by the thought. If he was dying, everything would have been simple and he would go immediately to see Wonwoo.

Mingyu looked at the faded stars, moving on from his morbid thoughts.

They used to shine so brightly when they sat as a crown on Wonwoo's dark hair, but now they were just small dots on a backdrop of black. It might have been due to the fact that his window was fogged, but Mingyu's mindset was too upset to make that connection.

Mingyu jumped out of his seat when a knock sounded at his door, and he stared out at it, seeing a face peeking in from the window built in next to it.

The nighttime janitor was staring at him, saying something he couldn't hear.

Mingyu gathered his things, heaving a heavy sigh. He answered the door politely and asked what it was that the man wanted.

"Aren't you going home?"

Mingyu nodded. "Yeah, just caught up with some stuff."

The janitor gave him a once-over, for some reason completely unknown to Mingyu before he swiped his mop around the latter.

"Ah, okay see you tomorrow, sir," he said before moving along, back towards his packed cart. Mingyu watched his retreating back, thinking vaguely that it looked lonely.

He left the janitor, finding his way around the halls to wherever. Mingyu didn't want to go back to his place, for the reason that there was simply too much Wonwoo there. He didn't have any friends who he could spend time with, either. Chanyeol and Baekhyun were out of the city while the rest of them had left him -- for obvious reasons.

He roamed the floor that he was on for a long time, not particularly thinking of anything. Mingyu focused on the empty sound of his footsteps instead, wondering where they would take him if he just let them be. There was a specific place he wanted and did not want to be at the same time. He wondered if his feet would take him there.

He stopped by a wide window that opened up the sight of the Emergency entrance. Doctors, nurses and patients were pacing around busily, all of them caught up in their own crises. Mingyu suddenly longed to be busy so he kept going, moving down into a darker part of the wing.

As he stepped on, the cold air from the empty halls settled into him and although he only had his thin, white coat on, he didn't really notice it.

Mingyu watched his feet plod down on the dull, grey floors and before he knew it he had gotten on the elevator, climbed through skywalks, passed through waiting rooms until he found himself in front of Wonwoo's door. He felt half-surprised but some part of him knew that he had just wanted to get there.

He didn't think, letting his hand open the door before he could hesitate. It slid open silently, opening up to him a dark room. When the door had been closed he hadn't heard anything but now he heard breathing that was too burdened to be normal and a voice that sounded like sobbing.

Mingyu knew it was Wonwoo and the fact that it was made him quicken his steps, old habits coming back to him. Once he saw the bed coated in pale moonlight he did nothing.

Wonwoo was sat up, head tilted against the wall with his mouth being bitten closed. Tears skimmed down his cheeks, barely noticeable until they caught light. The drops fell onto a familiar fleece scarf that matched the one in Mingyu's hands.

Mingyu had stopped-- just for a second-- to properly look at Wonwoo. He hadn't done that in a while, to just look at him without assessing for damage or possible outcomes. Mingyu didn't know why, but he felt that he had to do it then; that he owed it to Wonwoo.

When a choked sob fell past his clamped lips, Mingyu was moving again.

Mingyu remembered what Seokmin had told him earlier that day. Wonwoo was crying because of him, and maybe seeing it for himself was the last push he needed.

He dropped himself onto the bed, next to Wonwoo's waist and pulled in the latter for a hug. He did it on impulse, he had already stopped thinking long before he had even entered the room and it made it easier for him.

The older didn't seem to be thinking either because he held on to Mingyu as if he were his last lifeline and let everything out. He cried, attempting to say things in between but they both knew that none of it made sense.

Mingyu felt the cold that had settled in him from wandering empty halls dissipate the longer he sat with Wonwoo in his arms. It was replaced by the warmth that could only be given by someone else. The frozen view outside their window would melt away if it were between them, Mingyu thought.

Wonwoo's stuttered breathing slowed to a calm, steady tempo and eventually the crying had turned into hiccups occurring at random times with a strange silence stretching in between each one.

When Wonwoo finally began to calm down, Mingyu began questioning what he was doing.

Mingyu had not wanted to be there for the past month and just within minutes he had taken himself there without a second thought.

He looked down at Wonwoo who was still cradled into him, still a hiccuping mess, and wondered why it was that Wonwoo always managed to control him. Wonwoo had had that power over him since the first time they met and Mingyu was being pulled back into it after being away for so long.

Just as Mingyu was about to lean away, Wonwoo took in a huge breath and muttered two words, "Thank you," he said before another breath and three more words. "and I'm sorry."

His voice was hoarse but still the deep tone Mingyu had nearly allowed himself to forget. Mingyu didn't know how to reply because he thought he knew what Wonwoo was apologizing for, but he couldn't be one hundred percent sure.

"I know I've put you through a lot... Giving you a false happiness and then replacing it with nothing but worry and hurt," Wonwoo said as he leaned away by himself, settling himself so he would look into Mingyu's eyes. He reached for the latter's hands and held them gently as if they were made of delicate china.

Mingyu's heart was being crushed. A wave of guilt crashed onto him, followed by one of sadness, and then regret, and then longing, and then good, old sadness. He was being barraged by emotions that asked why Wonwoo was the one to be apologizing, why Mingyu was unable to say anything in return, why he had left Wonwoo in the first place when Mingyu felt so warm when Wonwoo was just looking at him. He was asking the 'why' questions that would have never been needed to be asked if he had just stayed.

"You've been alone for a long time, right?" Wonwoo's voice sent shivers to trickle over Mingyu's skin and tears were threatening to spill. He hadn't felt lonely but Wonwoo's words made him realize how solitary he had been. People had tried to convince him, but in the end, it was only Wonwoo who was able to make him see what he had really needed. "I'm sorry that I've done that to you. I didn't want the rest of them to leave you, but they did it anyway and it's all my fault."

Wonwoo brushed at a tear Mingyu hadn't realized had left.

"I know why you left me, I don't blame you for it." Wonwoo choked on his words, his eyes glistening again. "But I was lonely too."

Mingyu nodded, attempting to breathe but the sob he was holding in wouldn't let him. "I know," he coughed out. "I know, I'm so sorry."

Wonwoo shushed him, closing his eyes as he leaned in to touch their foreheads. "So let's not do this anymore, Mingyu," his voice was whispered and his breath tickled Mingyu's cheeks. "I didn't want to hurt you, but my god it hurts not to be with you so let's stop avoiding each other, please?"

His last word was tiny, muttered as if it had come from a child. Mingyu had never seen Wonwoo acting this way and it made him think how long Wonwoo must have been thinking for him to go this far.

"Okay," Mingyu replied, his voice just above a whisper. "Let's do that. We'll just be together, no worrying, no ignoring, let's just be happy. Okay?"

"Okay."

Mingyu said it one more time. "Okay."

Wonwoo muttered something Mingyu almost failed to catch.

"Maybe okay will be our always."

Mingyu couldn't help but laugh.

"So you're reading John Green, now?"

Wonwoo laughed back.

"Don't judge, it's a good book. I don't think you'd like it though."

"I won't read it then."

"Okay."

"Stop with the okays, it's making me anxious."

"Okay." 

 

 

 

When they had finished joking around and Mingyu had tucked Wonwoo in and let him doze off, he still sat by the side of his bed, watching him sleep. Mingyu remembered the first time he had voiced his feelings, in a dark hospital room while Wonwoo was asleep.

There are times when a person is apart from something for so long that they forget what it was like to be with it at all. Then, something comes along, a memory, a sound, a view, something that could be incredibly small comes and triggers a feeling that reminds them that maybe their feelings haven't changed that much.

Wonwoo's careless snoring, was, surprisingly, what brought back Mingyu's locked away feelings.

As he listened to the sporadic sounds, Mingyu leaned over, just until his face was right above Wonwoo's.

"I think I might be in love with you, again."

And he didn't only think he was in love with Wonwoo, he had known it forever but had denied it out of fear.

He was only saying it that way to mirror what he had said for the first time, over a year ago, in the hopes that things would return to the happy days of the past.

Mingyu left a kiss on Wonwoo's forehead with a smile, and stood up, preparing himself to leave.

He gave him one last glance before he left.

I'll tell him properly, tomorrow. 

 

 

When Jeonghan and Seokmin found Mingyu in Wonwoo's room the following day, they went bat-shit crazy. Mingyu could tell they wanted to ask him questions, but no one dared. Instead, they sat around while Jeonghan talked about patients that he should obviously not be sharing information about and Seokmin talked about awful nurses who could never shut up. Jeonghan wouldn't stop glaring at him.

When the two left, Mingyu told Wonwoo he loved him and things finally fell back into place. This time, they were definitely going to be okay.

Days after became just as they had been when OHEA had been in effect. Mingyu went back to being his cheery self as if Wonwoo had been the antidote to his broken, lonely self. Their friends were all back together, coming in one big group. Mingyu could see that Wonwoo was happy again, and he cursed himself for having ever changed that. Mingyu was seeing things in Wonwoo that he missed when he was away, and things that he would have never seen had he not come back.

Mingyu was determined to make it up to Wonwoo, no matter what it would take. Every day, he would love him, and every night he would stay by Wonwoo's side until he wasn't needed anymore. Their feelings for each other came back stronger and even though it should have made Mingyu even more afraid to lose him, he no longer gave those things a thought.

Wonwoo's family came for Mingyu's head but Wonwoo straightened everything out before his mother could take his life, or before Bohyuk could give him a black eye. None of them really forgave Mingyu, but he knew he deserved it so he did nothing to retaliate. It took them a while before they could hold a civilized conversation. Wonwoo's family slowly began to forgive Mingyu as time went on but he knew they wouldn't trust him as they did before.

Despite the positive changes, Wonwoo wasn't getting any better. Jisoo mentioned that the cancer was progressing and it was hard to tell where they would go from there.

Jisoo was hesitant in telling Mingyu to be careful, fearing that he might go overboard like before but Mingyu took it well. He was showing a different way of being careful. His touches were gentle, his visits came often, his words were soft and everything he did was simply warm.

It was obvious that Mingyu wasn't going anywhere anymore. He planned to stay until the very end.

When the two were together, it seemed almost as if nothing could ever break them apart. In those days, they were inseparable. 

 

 

 

In the last weeks of March, the snow was disappearing and so was Wonwoo's ability to walk. He was getting weaker by the day and his legs could no longer support him. He got a wheelchair that Mingyu treated like his old laptop. Despite it being hospital property, Mingyu stuck random things on it that he found or that he received from patients.

The wheelchair didn't change much, but Wonwoo had to often go 'exercising' with nurses to help keep the strength in his body. Otherwise, Mingyu would wheel him around in his wheelchair and take him to empty spaces where they would practice his steps in their spare time.

Their favourite spot to visit was the budding garden, on the stone paths that would be hard to navigate with the wheelchair. They stopped by often, picking out the prettiest flowers so that Wonwoo could bring them back to his room. Seokmin scolded them for killing his flowers, but in the end, he never stopped them.

March 30th, Mingyu came in with a strange piece of fabric and the brightest grin that Wonwoo had to voice that he was slightly afraid.

"What do you have, Mingyu? Should I be afraid because I kind of am."

"I have a life-changing piece of a costume," Mingyu explained as he pulled the wheelchair out of its corner and unfolded it. Mingyu's eyes were fixed on a sticker of a star that read "You did it!" that he received from a teacher that he was seeing for dissociative disorder as he pushed the chair closer to the bed. "Hop on, and I'll show you what it is."

Wonwoo pushed the bedsheets aside, his arms taking a little longer than they used to. He stood up with difficulty but Mingyu assisted him, holding him up by the arm and leading him into the chair.

"Look at you, you've turned into a sloth, Wonwoo," Mingyu commented with a lighthearted laugh. "This is why you should eat more to get stronger!"

Wonwoo scoffed as he adjusted his seated position. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I can't."

"Then what are we going to do with this sloth?"

"Not like you've ever been that fast, either, Mingyu," Wonwoo shot back with a smile. His head was tilted upwards so he could speak to the one standing above him. "I'm in the chair, show me what you've got."

Mingyu's eyes lit up as he remembered the object in his hands. He unfurled it in one swift motion and it fell between them, a curtain of red silk.

"Is that..." Wonwoo paused to examining the ends. "That's a cape, isn't it?" His voice fell into an unamused tone but his eyes betrayed him. He found it funny.

"Spot on, my friend!" Mingyu brought his hands down to tie it around Wonwoo's neck but the latter's own hands shot up to block him.

"No way."

"What?"

"There is no way I'm letting you put that on as you wheel me around the hospital."

Mingyu pouted, much like a little child. "Why not? Isn't it cool?"

"If it's so cool, you can wear it yourself."

Mingyu thought about it for a second before he nodded. "Sure, I will."

Wonwoo responded to his comment with a chuckle muffled by his hand. "Actually?"

The younger nodded and widened his eyes as if to say: 'Watch me'. Mingyu wrapped the strings around his own neck and tucked in his chin so he could see enough to tie the strings together. Once he finished the knot, he gave a twirl and watched as Wonwoo's eyes followed the swaying cape.

"So? Do I look like superman yet?"

Wonwoo snorted.

"That's a little short, isn't it?"

Mingyu tilted his head to the side before he caught the ends of the cape, seeing that it ended halfway down his back. His eyes widened, having only realized its length then.

"Mingyu, you stole that from a kid, didn't you?" Wonwoo joked.

Mingyu's hands shot up in defense as he shook his head vigorously. "No, no, no! He gave it to me, kids do that a lot."

Wonwoo clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Who knew? Mingyu, the kind-hearted physician turning into a cape-stealing thug."

Mingyu tugged at the string and let it come undone. He huffed angrily before leaning down and tying it around Wonwoo's neck. He did it so fast, Wonwoo couldn't even say a word.

"Well, you touched it last so now you're in on the theft."

Wonwoo forgot about untying it and instead tilted his head up again. "So you're acknowledging it was a theft?"

Mingyu opened his mouth, but shut it again, realizing that he had said that it was theft, himself. He had put himself into a corner and he wanted to smack himself upside the head.

"Let's go!" Mingyu shouted as a way to change the subject.

He took the handles and wheeled Wonwoo out the room at an unusually fast pace. They flew down the halls, the cape billowing into Mingyu's chest.

Wonwoo wanted to shout, but he knew they were in the halls of a hospital where disturbances could spark into something a lot bigger so he closed his eyes instead, letting the sound of Mingyu's laughter wash over him and the wind to catch on his face.

Mingyu steered them into the elevator where they had to pause for a second. Wonwoo took the advantage to scold Mingyu for running in hallways.

Mingyu apologized but as soon as they were on their floor he ran out again, watching Wonwoo to find that he was actually enjoying it. He wanted to stare, but he had to look up again to swerve past a column in the middle of the floor.

They finally reached the doors of the garden and Mingyu had to pause to open the door. From there, he walked slowly, taking them out towards their rock. He dodged cracks in the ground and anything that was sticking out.

When they stopped, Wonwoo gave Mingyu a smile. "Are you getting younger, or something? You get more and more childish as time goes on."

Mingyu gave him a flawless wink. "You caught me. I have a secret that will make you younger," Mingyu made up on the spot, leaning on Wonwoo's wheelchair so their heads were a foot away. He made it seem as if what he was about to say was a huge, unrevealed secret.

"Oh yeah?" Wonwoo's eyes were glittering with amusement. "And what is that?"

"Smiling," Mingyu said with simplicity.

Wonwoo's mouth broke out into a grin, and he was doing exactly as Mingyu had told him. He was smiling, and the doctor was convinced that he was a couple of years younger and there was absolutely nothing wrong with him. Mingyu told himself that someone who looked so alive couldn't possibly be dying.

"At this rate, you're going to outlive me," Mingyu joked.

Wonwoo's laughter was a little short, but Mingyu didn't comment on it.

"And laughter," Mingyu added. "Laughter will make you live forever."

Wonwoo shook his head, another laugh escaping his lips as he tilted his head down, facing his attention towards the folded hands in his lap.

Mingyu shifted himself so he stood next to Wonwoo so he could get a view of Wonwoo's shy smile. Mingyu loved looking at it, even though it was fading by the day. It was all the more necessary for him to see it whenever it appeared, so he could remember it for a long time, just in case he would never be able to see it again.

After a moment of silence that Mingyu had taken to admire Wonwoo, the former clapped his hands childishly. Wonwoo jumped out of his daze and looked up at Mingyu, tilting his head to the side.

"Okay, let's get walking," Mingyu said, moving so he stood in front of Wonwoo's chair. He put out a hand for Wonwoo to take, and the latter took it while nodding. With his other hand, he pulled off the cape and let it rest on the back of his chair.

"I'll do my best."

Wonwoo stood up unsteadily, leaning on Mingyu so that he could get away from his wheelchair.

"Not bad," Mingyu commented as they stepped forward towards the fountain in the middle of the court. "We're off to a good start."

Wonwoo eventually relaxed the farther they walked. His steps were slow, but Mingyu adjusted so they could be the same speed. Wonwoo's eyes alternated from the path ahead of him and his slipper-clad feet. He stepped over cracks and crevices so he wouldn't trip.

Mingyu was watchful, careful of anything that could slip up and cause an accident but he let down his guard after seeing how well Wonwoo was doing.

When they were only a couple feet away from the middle, Wonwoo's knees let out unexpectedly. He fell over onto Mingyu and they lost their balance, the two of them falling to the ground. Mingyu managed to control it so that Wonwoo fell over onto him and he sat up soon after, bringing Wonwoo with him.

Mingyu asked him if he was okay but Wonwoo just kept apologizing.

"I'm so sorry, Mingyu."

"Hey," Mingyu caught off his slew of apologies and forced Wonwoo to look him in the eyes. "It's okay. You fell once, everyone falls from time-to-time."

Wonwoo nodded slowly but diverted his gaze again to something behind Mingyu. "But..." He paused, closing his eyes to the brightness of the sun. "I fall more than I walk, Mingyu. Maybe one day-"

Mingyu cut him off again, directing his head back to the center by cupping his hand on Wonwoo's cheek.

"But I'll be here, and I'll help you. Wherever you go -- if you need me -- I'll follow you."

"You can't always be-"

Mingyu cut him off one last time.

"Everywhere. I'll follow you everywhere, as long as you let me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--
> 
> A/N 
> 
> SLOW DOWN. 
> 
> I said that because I know I always skip Author's Notes (oops). Anyway, before the next chapter, I want to say a huge thank you for everyone reading because this is the first story I've ever finished. It's incredibly special to me and I hope everyone anticipates The End! (haha see what I did there) I hope you've loved everything and I hope that you'll continue supporting me! (love ya, pizza_soo) 
> 
> If you haven't already guessed, the last chapter is the next one. There's also an Epilogue written out but I'm debating whether or not it should be released. Tell me what you guys want ^^


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